Hylian Legends
by KaizenYokoshima
Summary: You fight for a lifetime and the things you once conquered effortlessly have returned and surpassed you immensely. What do you do when everything you've learned seems to have lost its worth, and when everything you've loved seems to be fleeting you grasp?
1. Broken Seals

A/N: The rest of the chapters are going to be much longer. After all, this is only a prologue. In order to fully understand it, you should be familiar with the Legend of Zelda franchise (Which I would assume, given that you found this story in the first place). Events occur after Majora's Mask back in the Hyrule of The Ocarina of Time.

Chapters one through five average around 10,000 words, but they drop down to around 4,000 to 5,000 later on.

* * *

Prologue: Broken Seals

Some say that legends never die, that those who struggle for justice shall always prevail over those who yearn for emotionless power.

But where there is light, there is always darkness.

And one will never completely succumb to the other.

At least, that's the way it's supposed to be…

…

Ganondorf awoke, yet refused to open his eyes. Doing so would defeat the purpose, bringing only further realization of the truth. Patience was a virtue; he would obtain the opportunity to exercise power yet again. Best not to squander his energy for the day he would finally escape his bloody prison.

Ganondorf had been known worldwide as the great King of Evil. A thief hailing from the deserts of the west of the land of Hyrule as the single male descendant of the century to a group of mainly female rogues, He was a rather large man, his hair was red like the setting desert sun, his skin a crisp golden brown that resulted in living a life within a place with little rain. His clothing was that of black armor and cape, which served to increase his level of intimidation. In the center of his forehead was encrusted a deep crimson gemstone, one that amplified his already menacingly impressive amount of strength.

Taking advantage of a young hero's ignorance, he had gained the ultimate power in the form of a piece of the three sacred triangles known as the Triforce. When one is to touch these blessed artifacts, if one's three attributes: power, wisdom and courage are in balance, then he who touched it shall have their wishes granted.

The Great King of Evil had been so reliant on power that the other two pieces were given to two young people who would one day, along with the power of the six revered sages, save the world and lock the foul demon Ganondorf within the realm where he would drift for all of eternity. For Ganondorf, that day had been so many lifetimes ago.

Ganondorf had not aged. Trapped within the Evil Realm was like a vacuum where you would not whither, where you could not perish. Like an insignificant rock, he felt. Snorting, he smiled and allowed himself to drift back into paradise. Nothing more than a fantasy, it was.

But he knew that comfort was only an illusion. So much did he prefer the lie, however, that he failed to detect the rift opening to his north. It wasn't until he felt pain again that he realized he no longer resided within his chamber of torment, now he was surrounded by his once faithful servants.

There was no reason to utilize sight in order to leave this battlefield alive, Ganondorf knew. Drawing his rather impressively sized blade, he took a single swing, eliminating the entirety of the would-be threats within his vicinity. Or so he thought, at least until a brutal attack from behind plastered a rather nasty burn into his left arm.

The pain brought no grimace; he merely smiled, turned and reactivated his vision for the first time in years.

His smile faded. As did his muscle functions.

"Ganondorf, the King of Evil…" spoke the figure, refusing to withdraw from the shadows to reveal himself.

He snorted, "…the one who's going to slaughter you if you do not release me this instant." His retort was parried by an exceedingly painfulexcruciating jolt, followed by a scream of pain.

"Reticence would certainly be within your best interest…your Excellency. I'm going to make you a deal, and I do believe that you would prefer to be in a position of audience."

Ganondorf, snarled, but nodded.

"You work for me, I give you power far beyond the comprehension of the **gods**. As proof of my word, I present you with this," the echo resulting from the snap of his fingers accompanied the disappearance of his presence. From the shadows wriggled a lone octorok, a rather miniscule package attached to its head. It dropped its prize and disappeared, as Ganondorf's hex was released, sending him crashing to the Earth with a rather agonizing crash. But he ignored the screams his muscles sent him and grasped the object in his hands. Carefully removing the wrapping, Ganondorf stood in awe as he held in his possession a beautifully carved mask. It possessed bright, ominous yellow eyes, was similar in form to a heart, and was surrounded by spikes protruding from the edges and had been painted with a magnificent violet finish. Ganondorf took a small sniff. The familiar scent of blood tickled his senses.

Creatures across the lands seemed to retract in fear as Ganondorf looked to the night sky and laughed the most menacing of laughs.


	2. Friendship

A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to be more than twice as long, but I figured it would be better to split it in two. If I'm lucky, I'll get the next chapter up within the next few hours, tomorrow if I'm not.

Update: 6/6/06: changed my mind again, keeping it in one-piece saves disk space.Update: 7/3/06: errors have been fixed and more writing has been added for sake of description, confirmation and understanding. Those who don't have a complete understanding of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time should be able to comprehend most to all of the story now. The prologue's been updated, too, so check that out if you so desire.

* * *

Chapter I: Friendship

Link awoke, thinking that this day would be no different than every other within the last three years. Aging past his peers certainly was annoying, but it could not be helped, they were Kokiri and he was Hylian, it had always been that way and always would. But the forest had engraved something into his heart, knowing that when they looked decades apart that they would always be friends.

Link was a fourteen-year-old human boy. He dressed in a traditional green tunic that fell just above his ankles and favorite pointed cap in matching hue that hung back towards the ground. Underneath, this cap covered his dirty blonde hair.

But perhaps the most attractive features of his person were his deep blue eyes. These were irises that served a far greater purpose than physical uniqueness, they told a story of a young man who had seen horrible things, many that would make a battle hardened warrior cringe in fear and disgust. And yet, Link was not a pessimistic person. He was an optimistic, responsible, moral and courageous young man, if a little dull-witted.

It was with the assistance, not reliance of this trait that made Link so incredibly popular. Although he sometimes complained and was a tad childish at times, he was one who helped without hesitation and asked for nothing in return. That which he was given was purely from gratitude, and which was accepted with many thanks.

Link especially knew that in the future, he would be a target for many young women, and a great friend for those who did not capture his attention in precisely that form.

Link had long ago been destined to save the world from the force of evil known as Ganondorf. At the age of ten, he had been told of his duty and had set out to acquire the three spiritual stones. These stones were the emerald of the Kokiri forest, the ruby of the Gorons of Death Mountain and the sapphire of the Zoras of Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain.

There were five general races within the land of Hyrule. The Kokiri were a race of children born from the earth and watched over by the spirit known as the Great Deku Tree. They lived within their forest home secluded from the rest of the world.

The Gorons were fierce fighters of the mountains, whose rock hard hides could be used as powerful weapons. Resistant to fire and devourers of rocks, they certainly were a tad eccentric, but they had hearts of gold underneath their callous exteriors.

The Zoras were a group of proud inhabitants of the water who could breathe both air and water and swim with the grace of birds in the sky. Truly magnificent on the outside, but a tad haughty underneath.

The Gerudos were a group of aggressive desert thieves with a high level of integrity, and an even higher level of arrogance. Taking advantage of their almost completely female groups and great abilities of seduction, many a traveler ended up within their dungeons. With ignorant men who were willing to join, there were no recruits, only prisoners.

And lastly, there were the Hylians, the most populous and general of the five. They possessed basic fighting techniques and a good deal of understanding of the system of magic, but they were known to be truly fiercest when fighting for something they had to protect.

Link had long ago been accepted as a Kokiri, although the blood that ran through his veins was that of a long line of Hylian knights. Hylians who enter the forest are always turned to plants, and likewise, Kokiri who leave the forest die the instant they step foot within the fields outside.

Link's mother had fled to the forest when Link had been a mere child. She had pleaded to the Great Deku Tree that he watch over her son. The Great Spirit, seeing much potential within the young boy, promised the woman. The woman, relieved, passed within the confines of the forest and became one of the most beautiful of plants.

Appearances between Kokiri and Hylians were strikingly similar. The one thing that set Link apart by the rest of the children was his lack of a fairy. Every Kokiri was granted a guardian fairy upon the day of their birth/creation. These fairies were the children's partners, siblings and friends. Because Link was not a Kokiri by blood, he had not been gifted a partner.

Years into his life, however, Link had been granted a female fairy partner by the name of Navi. Together, the duo fought to save the world.

After collecting the three spiritual stones, with the aid of Navi; The princess of Hyrule, Zelda; and the sacred Ocarina of Time, Link opened the door to the Sacred Realm that housed both the power of the gods known as the Triforce, and the Sacred Blade of Evil's Bane, known as the Master Sword.

However, when Link had withdrawn this power, Ganondorf had taken advantage of the opportunity and laid his hands upon the Triforce. Link, far too young to wield the power of the Master Sword, was locked away within the Sacred Realm for seven years until the day he would finally be ready. Within this period of time, Ganondorf took rule of the world and crushed the power of the Hylian monarchy, turning the bustling city of Hyrule into a barren land of death and chaos.

But after Link had defeated Ganondorf and sealed him away, he returned the blade to its pedestal and returned to his own time. Once he did, his friend Navi, proud of his accomplishments, set off.

It had seemed so long to Link since he had returned to Hyrule, his search for Navi to no avail. It was a depressing thought, but Link knew that someday, he would reunite with his long lost partner.

Accompanying his aging came growths; Link now stood well over five feet, towering over his friends. They had no choice but to crane back their necks at an angle high enough to blind yourself from the midmorning sun just to look him in the eye. To Link, this was both a gift and a disadvantage. His center of gravity was no longer low to the ground, running nimbly with ease was near impossible now, but he had become much stronger, literally pulling his weight around with mundane chores that required great amounts of strength.

After all, with no more need for the Kokiri emerald, it had been locked away in a shrine built to honor the spirit of the late Great Deku Tree. He had been, in any case, a father to the children of the forest, if nothing more.

It had taken a little while longer than he would of liked, but Link had grown to accept the changes, knowing full well that in the future, it would be a vital asset to any dire perils he would need to take care of. He had, after all, saved the entire world from complete domination at the hands of the malevolent Ganondorf, and the parallel world of Termina from the horrors of Majora.

Looking out towards the entire village from the porch of his tree house brought Link an invaluable calm, knowing full well that he preferred peace to the horrors of the struggle for justice. He allowed himself a few more moments of silence. At least, he would have given himself the entire day, had not Mido pegged him in the ankle with a seed from his slingshot.

At first the pain was minimal. Link grabbed his ankle and hopped on one foot in order to take his mind off the discomfort. Mido laughed maliciously, but only until he fired another shot at Link's other ankle, causing him to lose his balance and hit the ground leg first with a sickening crack. Before anyone saw, Mido fled.

No amount of Lon Lon milk can suppress the damage from a twenty-foot fall that literally shoves the foreleg up into the knee socket.

Biting back a swear and the urge to cry out in pain, Link brought himself to his feet, only to stumble back over again. He laid there in agony for what felt like hours until he heard Saria shriek, run over and help him back to his feet.

"Link, are you all right?"

"Other than the immense amounts of pain I feel in my legs, I feel as peppy as a Deku sprout," he muttered.

"What happened?" asked Saria, possessing a concerned expression.

"That Deku Baba brained Mido hit me with his slingshot."

"He's been doing that to everybody lately, but it looks like he's been working up the courage to come after you."

"More like ignorance really." Link shook his head, knowing that Mido was known as more of a troublemaker than a hero as he claimed to be.

Saria grunted and dropped Link right to the grass, taking a moment to recapture her breath, "Boy, you're heavy…"

Link smiled, but did not laugh. Saria wondered if he even understood humor, rarely did he even chuckle. Maybe with the things he saw, there really was nothing to laugh about.

Saria and Link had been best friends for as long as Link could remember. Her caring, upbeat nature made Link feel comfortable among his peers. It had been difficult for him to fit in without a fairy of his own.

Saria, because she was eternally youthful, did not have a known age except to herself. It was this story with all Kokiri. She was, like the others, not very tall. And again like the others, she wore a green tunic and band for her hair that the other Kokiri girls adorned themselves with. Unlike the others, however, her hair color stood out. While most of the children had hair that ranged from blonde to brownish-red, her hair was a hue of emerald as green as the grass itself. One would certainly be shocked to see such a sight if one were not a Kokiri.

All of the youths, however, possessed the same color of blue eyes. This was a trait that none besides the Deku tree understood, but now, he had passed and the only one who knew now would be the Deku tree's descendent. But none bothered to question this. It was simply something overlooked.

"Do you have any milk on you?" asked Saria.

Link smiled yet again and held up a bottle, "Here, take it." Saria pulled a small pouch from her pocket, which Link noticed and shook his head in response.

"Nope, that milk's for you, finest helping she's given me all year," said Link, referring gratefully to the cow given to him by Malon only a year ago. He knew that he was supposed to win her in the future, but Link had actually begun riding horses at eleven. Malon always seemed to point out his skill and blush heavily when he returned with a compliment of his own.

Malon was a young woman the same age as Link. Between Hyrule castle and Kokiri forest, there was stationed a ranch in the middle of the wide field. Known well among those within the town as excellent providers of dairy products and fine steeds, the workers of Lon Lon ranch were considered the best, if only people in the business.

Malon, just thinking about her made Link full of joy. He imagined holding her slender figure within his grasp, feeling her flaming red hair that rivaled the beauty of the world itself. He envisioned staring deep into her eyes of sapphire gleam, pulling her in tightly for an embrace of passion and affection that he felt no other could comprehend.

"Not thinking about Malon now, are you?" Link's face turned ruby red and he turned his focus to avoid Saria's gaze. She laughed, figuring it was probably good for the both of them.

"Um…about the milk, think I'll pass…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I completely cleaned out the bottle first. Used soap, too," he held up his right hand and slowly flexed his fingers, "although the scrubbing sure did make my fingers sore."

"Squander your time all you want, there really isn't anything else to do," retorted Saria, pulling the cork out of the bottle and taking a rather large gulp.

"Nice, here," said Link, handing her another bottle. Saria opened her pouch and withdrew several green and white herbs, dropped them into the milk, shook turbulently and handed the concoction back to Link, who downed the twenty-four ounce serving in one long swig.

Link coughed, "Ouch…" he took a moment to swallow before replying, "I don't know why, but my throat is completely sore."

"Why do you think I keep telling you to take it slow? Downing those leaves too quickly leaves nasty burns in there, you bottomless hole of a stomach."

Link ignored her and slowly stood up straight, the pain in his leg no longer existent. Saria smiled, "Well then, that makes how many times now?"

"I think this is the third time this month," said Link, hopping on the once broken limb.

"Really, you need to cut back on the muscle thing, you know. Those herbs are hard to find."

"Hey it's only testosterone, which I'm surprised you understand, given that you've lived your entire life as a child."

"Hey, it's happening to my best friend…"

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Saria perked up, "Oh, right. The Great Deku Sprout said that he had something for you, Link."

"Ok, anything I need to bring?" he asked.

Saria drew another pouch from her pocket and handed it to him, "These are edible, just chew on them and it'll have the same effect. Don't waste them though, those are really rare!"

Link opened the bag and peeked inside, "Reeaaallly?" he asked with a long drawn out tone, smiling but not laughing, "they look like things that you could grow out of your head."

Saria absolutely hated when people referred to her hair as a plant, and teasing her like that was like poking a sleeping wolfos with a stick. Link, realizing this, ran for his life towards the edge of the forest before Saria could inflict massive amounts of physical torture on his body. Getting beaten to a pulp was not something Link was fond of.

But we all have to deal with things we wouldn't prefer in life. That's just the way it is.

…

As Link approached the entrance to the Great Deku Sanctuary, he noticed that Mido wasn't there. Thinking that Mido probably knew that the Great Deku Sprout had summoned him, he wanted to be as far from his punishment as physically possible. Link was, for one of the several occasions in his life, wrong.

As he approached the tiny sapling that was his symbolical father's heir, he slowed to a walk and knelt down on knee in front of the mystical deity.

"You called, Great Deku Spirit?"

A small leaf wriggled out of the ground to show a miniscule stalk with a smiling face. This, to Link, obviously came as no surprise because he lived in a world where magic governed the future, the dead walked and played flutes and where plants would kill you if you sniffed them the wrong way.

The spirit cleared its voice and spoke softly, "Ah, I see you two have arrived."

"Two?" Link looked over his shoulder to see Mido sneering down upon him. Mido had always been jealous of Link. Although he did not have a fairy, the other children had taken a liking to him rather quickly, leaving Mido out of the spotlight. Infuriated that they would accept Link over himself, Mido spent all of his energy picking upon the fairy-less boy. This led to many confrontations between the two, with Mido generally being held under the role of the bad intentioned troublemaker, even if this was usually the case.

Link withheld his rage and turned back to the sprite.

"What's he doing here?"

The Great Deku Sprout spoke, "Sit, and listen." The two did as they were told; scooting away from each other once they hit the dirt.

"I have slept for many moons now, and I feel the return of a truly powerful presence, it seems Ganondorf has returned."

Link ground his teeth together. Mido began sweating furiously.

"I need to send one of you two out to investigate the issue."

"One of us? I thought that Mido wasn't allowed to leave the forest."

"G-Great Deku Spirit, what's going on?"

"Mido…" the small spirit sighed.

"…"

"You are, and always have been a Kokiri. But before my father passed, he told me of a magnificent story, instructing me to tell you when the time was right." Mido gulped.

"You Mido, were always destined to a be a hero. When you were born, my father broke the bind you have on this forest. You, Mido, are the only true Kokiri with the ability to leave the forest."

Mido looked puzzled, his face pale, "…But what about Link? He left the forest and came back just fine."

"Link…is not a Kokiri, Mido. You see-" before the Great Deku Spirit could continue, Mido lunged at Link's throat and began to strangle him.

"You're a warlock, aren't you? I knew that you killed the Great Deku Tree, I knew it!" Mido shouted, refusing to withhold his rage.

"Get off me you skulltuta head! I did nothing of the sort!"

"Liar!" Mido punched Link in the nose.

Link finally let all of his rage go and allowed his knuckles to connect with Mido's jaw for a few seconds, permitting himself to find enjoyment from the sickening crack resulting from the split in Mido's jaw. Whatever color had remained in Mido's face was gone.

"That is enough!' exclaimed the Great Deku Sprout. "You two need to sit down and listen!" When the Great Deku Spirit speaks, everyone listens. Link and Mido stopped and sat, blood running down both of their noses. Link withdrew the pouch of herbs from his pocket and began chewing, reluctantly handing one to Mido, too. Mido hesitated, then snatched it from his hand.

"Mido, Link is not a Kokiri by blood, he was adopted by my father as a child of this land. It does not matter that he was born of foreign methods, what matters is that he is a member of the Kokiri spirit."

"But the reason I've called you two here is such. Link, you have heard this story once before, but do you wish to hear it again?" Link hesitated, then nodded, blood no longer running down his face.

"Very well…Before time began, before spirits and life existed…three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule…"

"Din, the goddess of power…"

"Nayru, the goddess of wisdom…"

"Farore, the goddess of courage…"

"Din…with her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth."

"Nayru…poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world."

"Farore…With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law."

The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm."

"The three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule. The power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity…If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil…That is what has been told…So, the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones."

"Ganondorf has spent his life searching for a way to open the Sacred Realm and find the power of the Triforce, at least until he was imprisoned within it for three long years."

"Excuse me, Great Deku Spirit?" spoke Link.

"Yes child, speak your mind. It is a fool that does not listen to the concerns of others."

"I defeated Ganondorf in the future, how did he escape now?" he asked, completely confused.

"Defeated him in the future? What the Stalfos are you talking about, Link?" questioned Mido, exasperated.

"Calm yourself, child. Link speaks the truth, Ganondorf was locked away to drift within the Evil Realm for eternity, but it seems that he has escaped, this time aided by a far greater evil." Even with the power of the Triforce of courage fused with his spirit, Link began to shiver violently purely out of fear.

"You're saying that there's somebody who's actually** stronger** than Ganon?"

"That is correct. And it seems that yet another evil has awoken that you had successfully defeated before, Majora, I believe it was." The lump in Link's throat felt as if it had plummeted straight into his stomach.

Link shook his head, refusing to believe it, "How can that be, Great Deku Spirit? This evil that we're fighting is stronger than those two **combined**?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Ganondorf now has the power of Majora." Sweat ran down Link's face like a waterfall.

"But don't be afraid, child. Know that-"

"Know what? Do you have any idea how hard it was to defeat the two of them by themselves? We're literally staring the apocalypse in the face!"

"Calm yourself, Link. You actually know them better than anyone else. He may have a few new tricks up his sleeve, but I have complete faith in you."

"…"

"If he can do this on his own, why do I have to do anything?" Mido uttered.

"Because, Mido, you were originally destined to save the world before Link was found. It is your destiny to aid the in the world's survival. Link may be able to do this on his own, but even he would appreciate assistance."

"…from **him**?" asked Link. Along with his growth came a good deal of sarcasm.

"What's that supposed to mean? Huh?" Mido stood up, sticking his face where it didn't belong. Link shot him a glare that could freeze a Re-Dead zombie. Mido backed off in an instant.

"I know that you two don't like each other, but in order to have the greatest chances for success, you need to learn to work as a team."

The two looked at each other disapprovingly, but agreed.

"Good. Now, the first thing that you two need to do is to retrieve the Kokiri Emerald."

"But that's all the way at the bottom of the shrine."

"Exactly, this will be a test of your strength."

Mido grunted, "Fine."

Link stood, brushed off his clothes and walked straight for the shrine, Mido jogging to catch up.

"Hey, Link."

"What?" he responded, sounding as neutral as possible.

"Let's say we make this a race? First one to get the Kokiri Emerald wins."

"You sure you want to do that? I know that I'll win." Link was not being arrogant, he simply knew that Mido would stand no chance.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Well then, how about we make a little wager? Whoever gets it first gets all of the loser's treasures."

"Fine."

The two started off into a sprint towards the shrine. Because of his low center of gravity, Mido took the lead early on. Link was not too far behind, but he wasn't about to let Mido get the jump on him.

"Link!" Link turned to see Saria running after him. Not even taking a moment to think about what she might want, Link went into a mad dash for the entrance, choosing not to contemplate the horrible consequences if she caught up. Mido, astounded by Link's burst of speed, gritted his teeth, certain that he was trying to show off.

"Link, wait!" Saria called. Link ignored her, diving straight into the chasm inside the first chamber of the temple.

The slide down was a very long one indeed, taking at least five minutes to hit the bottom. Stopping and taking a moment to catch his breath, he figured that Saria wasn't crazy enough to follow him down here.

"Link!" astounded that Saria would actually chase him into such a dangerous place, Saria dropped out from the slide and staggered over, panting. Reluctant for what she might do to him, it took Link a few seconds to realize that if she had actually pursue him down here, that it must be important.

Helping her stand straight again, he asked, "What?"

"…Link…you need…this…" she somehow managed to breath out, handing Link a small dagger fashioned from a Deku stick.

"What's this?" he asked, holding it in his hands and examining it from several angles.

Saria smiled, "I made it for you."

Link nodded, "Thanks."

Saria smiled yet again. Link turned around to peer straight into the darkness. This, he thought, his courage could handle.

He turned to tell Saria that she should leave. By the time he turned around, however, she was gone.

Figuring that Mido had taken an alternate route, Link ran straight towards the unknown, knowing full well that even though he had helped build this shrine, it contained many dangerous secrets to keep out intruders.

Link knew hardly any of them, however. Finding his way through this headache of a maze was going to take some work.

…

In front of Link stood a rather large chasm that spiraled downwards, Link's vision stopping about three floors down. He couldn't actually see the floors below him, however. The room was shaped like a dome, but the walkways were all equally wide, making it impossible to see the ground below you unless you knelt over the edge and looked behind you. If it was the constructors' idea to make any bold adventurer oblivious to what was below, they had done an exceptional job.

Three steps forward, and Link was surrounded by Deku Babas, each clicking its jaw in unison. Realizing that this might be a trap, Link lunged towards the one directly in front of him, only to fall backwards as the creature screeched a high pitched wail that forced Link to cover his ears. These slim-necked, bud headed monsters were rarely much of a threat, even in a group. But the ones that Link faced seemed a tad more aggressive than Link was used to.

Gritting his teeth to take his mind of the ringing in his brain, Link withdrew his trusty boomerang and threw it. The Deku Baba, however, caught it in its mouth. Link smiled as the Baba realized that the projectile was simply a decoy as a Deku seed pierced straight through its skull. The others clicked in rage as Link unleashed his trademark spin attack.

Sheathing the faithful Kokiri Sword, now more of a dagger, Link brushed off his tunic and reached for his prizes. Knowing that Deku sticks had their uses, he gathered five and left three where he stood, then headed right.

A door to his right opened as he faced it. As soon as he entered, however, bars sealed off his exit to reveal four Mad Deku Scrubs; each shook its tiny leaf covered body wildly. Dealing with these guys before, Link figured it would be an easy battle, raising his Deku shield. Each of the four fired off three Deku Nuts. Knowing that the first two would deflect each other and the third would strike its target, he held himself on guard until he heard twelve solid thunks. Aiming his slingshot, he figured would be his best bet, since the little guys liked to run away.

All four scrubs charged him and began pouncing on his back, much to his surprise. Struggling to his feet resulted in a Deku nut to the head. The more he wiggled, the harder they struck. Link dropped his weapon as he coughed up blood, feeling his strength escaping him. He was about ready to give up when he saw a large skulltula drop down from overhead and crush all of the Deku scrubs into pure ooze.

Link didn't know whether to feel relieved or disgusted, but he looked up to see his savior, who just happened to be the second-to-last person he wanted to see.

"Having some trouble, are we?"

"Knock it off, Mido." The spider-like creature skittered away and crawled onto Mido's back.

"What is that thing?"

"I ain't telling you anything. But I sure feel like having two of these things!" He taunted Link, leaping over his limp body and sprinting down the hall.

If Mido could have a Skulltula that could crush opponents by his bidding, Link certainly wasn't about to let himself go home empty handed.

Link took off in a sprint, pulling an herb from his pouch and chewing on it again. He noticed that he began to feel lighter on his feet, but he shook the thought aside, knowing that the only thing he needed to focus on now was finding the treasure.

Thanking the spirits of the Goddesses that he had slowed down in order to catch his breath, Link now stood on the edge of a pit with a bottom shrouded in darkness, vines stretching from wall to wall. Looking ahead, he saw Mido leap from one vine to another, each giving him an excellent boost into the air. Emulating this example, Link leapt from his standpoint onto a vine in front of him, felt his weight drop, then spring into the air. He looked forward and saw Mido trip and grab onto a vine. The important thing he noticed was a treasure chest hanging from the ceiling by skulltula webs.

Sighing, he leapt forward. Figuring that Mido was trying to trick him, he headed in his direction anyway, realizing that Mido probably wasn't smart enough to pull something over his head. He then saw Mido pull himself up, so he continued forward.

Several Deku scrubs bounced up across the other ledge, aiming more Deku nuts at the two than the amount of rupees it takes to buy a red tunic.

Link raised his shield and kept going, passing Mido and blocking the shots for both of them. Thinking quickly, Link stuck a bombchu to the ceiling and watched the moving mouse-shaped explosive trace a path, stop and detonate right in front of the chest.

_Like roasted bomb flowers,_ Link thought.

The chest, miraculously, was fine. Landing on the hard wooden floor and rolling to prevent any broken legs bones again, Link jumped for the chest and punched it open, covering his eyes and wondering why big treasure chests always glowed with a brilliant sheen. Pulling his treasure from the chest, he saw a black Skulltula staring back at him. This Skulltula, however, was anything but repugnant: its skull shimmered with a brilliant jet colored luster in perfect symmetry, it's eyes glowing like the Goron Ruby. It put up no struggle however, but simply jumped from his hand and crawled onto his back.

Link waited.

And waited.

At least, until he remembered that he had no loyal friend to explain the trophy he had just discovered, or to help him figure out what to do next.

He remembered the first day he met her, trekking through the Great Deku Tree, Dodongo's cavern, Jabu Jabu's Belly, and always having a companion at his side.

The memories of walking through the sticky entrails of a monstrous Zora snapped him from his daydream. This was no time for fantasizing.

Making certain that Mido hadn't done anything stupid, he turned around to help Mido. He saw no one, then saw Mido drop from the ceiling, knock him over and make his way through the door.

Furious that he hadn't seen it coming and grateful that he now knew at least one the things that his new tool could do, he proceeded to the next chamber. He saw Mido standing in front of him, throwing down the black Skulltula and standing on it like a frozen octorok in water. It walked straight off the edge, clinging to the walls as it made it's way downward.

Link mimicked what he saw, and soon he caught up with Mido.

"I'm getting there before you do!" Mido bragged.

Mido turned around just quickly enough to catch a glimpse of a rotating iron bar, which smacked him in the face hard enough that he dangled off the black skulltula, unconscious. Link, beckoned his own creature speed up, only to watch Mido's grab his legs and continue its descent.

Making sure that he wasn't caught off guard, Link jumped, the Skulltula with him. Link had done something similar before, using his shield as a board and sliding down slopes in a race against the other Kokiri.

Just barely clearing the obstruction, Link looked forward/downwards, only to see more obstacles.

Spending the next few minutes ducking, jumping over and leaning around similar impediments, Link finally reached the bottom to see Mido waking from his spell.

Forcing into his mind a somewhat positive attitude that Mido would be fine, Link retracted his device and ran for the northern corridor after finding a compass in a chest nearby.

The next room had no floor, no vines and no visible walls to the side. All Link saw was a large net above him. Unsure of what to do, Link jumped for the ceiling, figuring that the only way across was to climb the net. As his hands touched the growth, the skulltula reached out, supporting Link with four legs and crawling across with the other four, Link now had both arms free. As he made his way forward, he saw a few stalfos and several skulltula making their ways towards him. Link unsheathed the Kokiri sword, ready for a fight. One of the stalfos, however, threw its sword at him. Acting quickly, Link raised his Hylian shield and let it fall into the darkness below.

As soon as they got within ten feet of his person, several of the skulltula stopped, paralyzed, two of them plummeting into the unknown.

_Is there anything this thing **can't** do?_

Link withdrew his slingshot and knocked off the remaining spiders with relative ease. The stalfos, however, turned out to be a little bit more of a problem. Even with two hands against one, stalfos had once been magnificent warriors, cursed to walk Hyrule for all eternity as undead skeletons. Link cut off one's hand, along with its weapon. In retaliation, it made a ditch effort by swinging forward and grabbing onto Link's leg.

Wielding his boomerang, he threw it downwards, cutting the creature's remaining arm in two.

The last of them were quite ferocious, the last one catching Link off guard and leaving a severe cut in his backside.

Link turned to face it, thrusting the Kokiri dagger straight through the abomination's skull. It continued to thrash Link. The skulltula turned and shot a good deal of webbing around the creature's arms and legs, ceasing its movements. Link pulled the weapon from the bones and kicked it downwards, watching the last of his troubles fall, at least for this room. The skulltula turned and continued its way to the other side. Just as Link saw the edge, he looked upwards to see his skulltula slowing its movements.

Before he had time to act, the skulltula lost its grip and Link fell. Miraculously, a hand caught him just in time, but not from whom he expected.

"Mido? Why didn't you just let me fall?"

"Can't exactly have dead competition, you know."

Mido hoisted Link up, then threw him over to the other ledge

"You nut head! These things can only stay on a ceiling for a few minutes, they can't support our weight forever!"

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks for the tip," said Link, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, whatever."

The two made their way through the doorway into the next room, several blocks stacked on one another forming a big puzzle.

"Now what?"

"Now we push these blocks and make ourselves an opening."

"…" Mido stared at Link.

"What?" he asked, still chewing on one of Saria's herbs.

"What happened to your voice?"

"What?" Link asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Your voice, it got higher. And now that I think about it…" Mido made a flattened hand motion that people do to compare height, "You seem to have gotten shorter."

"That's impossible," Link snorted.

"How else would you explain it? I can't get any taller!"

Link pulled his skulltula off his back to see his reflection in the brilliant shine. There was no mistaking it, Link looked like he was when he was eleven.

"This can't be. I'm taller than you."

"Maybe it's this shrine. Maybe there's a spell here that makes you shorter or something," Mido suggested while observing his surroundings.

"That's stupid. It would affect you too."

"Maybe it only applies to people who aren't Kokiri."

"That is possible…"

"Then I guess we had better get a move on." Link did not answer, he simply spit out the herb and wiped off his mouth. He felt a sudden jolt in his legs, looked down and saw Mido staring back up at him.

"…awkward…"

"Maybe those herbs have something in them that make you younger. Your voice is back to normal, too."

"I've had two already, maybe I grow one year younger for each one I have."

"Don't experiment with that yet, we still need to move these blocks."

The two went to work, pushing, pulling, stacking and removing blocks in order to clear a passage. Mido was forced to push one at a time with all of his weight, but Link could push two adjacent ones at once, making their job much easier.

"Maybe we can use our skulltula to help us move these things," Mido suggested.

"Good idea." The two dropped their items and watched them lift blocks onto their heads and toss them to the side.

Link saw two blocks right next to each other and decided to push them both. As he pushed forward, he realized that these blocks were heavier than the others he had been moving already.

Seeing if there was anything obstructing his path, Link noticed a black switch.

"Hey Mido! I see a switch, so I'm going to press it."

Link didn't wait for a response, he simply hit it. The blocks underneath his feet seemed to give way, then the floor completely collapsed.

He heard Mido scream as the two fell in free fall.

Link felt his fall slow after a while, then he bounced back up and landed on his back. Ignoring the discomfort, Link got to his feet to see the other blocks scattered about. he saw no walls, only darkness. He looked downwards to see that all the slabs as well as his own stepping stone stuck to a thick, white web.

He thought he heard Mido gulp.

Link looked up, not seeing anything, but hearing a distant disturbance.

As seconds passed, the sound grew louder, closer. He could now make out a dull white glow.

The twitching stopped.

Link saw the creature up close.

Ganon looked like a magic bean compared to this thing.

Link looked over at Mido, who had fainted purely out of fear. After all, it's not everyday that somebody gets to see a fifty foot deformed Skulltula.

The creature screeched loudly, it's cry deafening and irritating.

It jumped into the air as if to pounce.

Without thinking, Link made a dash for Mido, grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and jumped out of the way in just enough time to keep the two from being crushed by a giant spider.

If Mido had ever hated bugs before, he had picked a fine time for it.

Drawing his slingshot, Link fired five rounds into the sin against nature's back. Rather than take any damage, however, the skulltula simply stopped moving.

Taking this opportunity to catch his breath, Link knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against his opponent unless he could make his way around the platforms easily. Popping three herbs into his mouth, Link felt himself shrink, feeling much lighter and vigorous. Knowing that he couldn't handle this by himself, however, Link turned to the still unconscious Mido.

"Mido, wake up!" No response.

"Mido!" still nothing. Link slapped him across the face. He shook him violently, he took out a bottle of fresh water and poured it over his face. He screamed in his ear. Nothing seemed to work. He looked at Mido's fairy, which Link swore he saw shrug.

An idea popped into Link's head at once, "Thanks for the black skulltula, Mido. Finding the Kokiri Emerald should be easy now."

"Give me that!"

"Relax! I didn't take it." The spider, now free from its paralysis, turned to face the duo.

"Move!" The two managed to get out of the way again. Link fired several more rounds into the beast's underside, then made a mad dash forward, piercing it with the Kokiri dagger. The beast twitched violently, breaking Link's grip and sending him straight to the webbing below. Mido fired a few more rounds from his slingshot, buying the two some time.

The black skulltula on Link's back was used to walking on webs, bringing Link back to safety.

"Wow, these things are amazing," said Mido, mesmerized.

"We need to try something else, we're not doing any damage."

"Then what can we do? Our black skulltulas aren't strong enough to paralyze this thing!"

"I have an idea, I just need you to distract it for a minute or two."

"Okay!" Milo ran off, pelting the creature with an assault of slingshot seeds and Deku nuts.

Link withdrew his fairy ocarina, put his hands into the right position and played perhaps the most useful and catchiest of the tunes he knew: Saria's song.

This song was that which only Saria's closest friends knew. It was a powerful melody that enabled the musician to contact Saria from afar, although it was usually only Link who ever actually traveled a far enough distance in order for it to be necessary. Nevertheless, it blessed Saria's friends with spirit and energy, those who heard it once let it reside within their hearts for all eternity.

Time seemed to slow as he roughly heard Saria's soothing voice.

_"Link? Link, can you hear me?"_

"Saria, we need your help! Mido and I are stuck down here against a giant Skulltula. We've been attacking it with Deku seeds and Deku nuts, I even attacked its weak point with my sword, but it didn't seem to do anything!"

_"Link, remember that dagger I made for you? Use it!"_

"But it'll break."

_"Just use it, you'll be okay."_ Link knew Saria his entire life. When she said something was okay, Link knew he would be fine.

Link put away his ocarina and withdrew the dagger Saria had fashioned for him. Figuring that it would be better to have twice the power, Link withdrew his Kokiri dagger as well. He made a dash for the creature while Mido sat back, panting.

"Link, I'm out of ammo!"

"Here, take this!" yelled Link, throwing his prized black skulltula across the room to Mido's hand. Mido somehow understood, withdrew his own weapon and threw the two into the air in unison.

Before the enormous arachnid could devour Mido whole, the two skulltula clung to the creature's face, making it completely oblivious to Link's presence.

The monster thrashed from side to side, seeking an escape from its current situation.

Link, fully intending to assist with just that, ran straight forward, thrusting both blades into the creature's weak side.

To his surprise, the Deku stick formed weapon did not snap, but actually made the creature squeal in pain. Relieved that he was actually doing some damage, Link jumped backwards to avoid the fiend's retaliation, then made a swift movement again. The creature kept attacking and missing. Link felt the difference.

But eventually, Link and Mido both realized that it wasn't enough.

Like throwing pebbles at a tumbling boulder.

"Link, we're still not making any progress!"

"Dang! Here, take these!" Link tossed Mido his remaining Deku seeds and nuts, then retreated to a corner to contact Saria again.

_"…Link? Can you hear me?"_

"Saria, it's not doing us any good! I've been hammering away at this thing for what feels like hours! Mido and I are both exhausted! We're almost out of supplies! We-"

_"Link, do you trust me?"_

"Saria, this isn't the time to-"

"_Do you trust me?"_

"Yes, but what does that have anything to do with-"

_"If you trust me, then you should trust in your weapon!"_

Finally it hit him, "…Thanks, Saria."

Saria did not respond, but somehow that silence made Link feel better.

Withdrawing the dagger yet again, Link held the dagger firmly underneath his ocarina and played Saria's song once more.

As soon as he struck the last note, Link saw a brilliant emerald glow from both his hand and his sheath.

Drawing both the Kokiri dagger and Saria's dagger, Link watched in amazement as the two grew to enormous proportions.

Link now wielded two weapons: Blade of the Kokiri and Saria's Sword.

In pure astonishment that he would even be able to hold two blades at once, Link stood, awestruck at the pure beauty of the two.

The Blade of the Kokiri's handle had gone from brown to a luminous green, the blade extending outwards slightly towards the tip, leaves sprouting from the hilt.

Saria's Sword had gone from a dull brown to a sparkling bright green, the handle forming the shape of an ocarina and the blade curved perfectly symmetrical with an exceptionally sharp tip resembling an emerald.

The beauty of these pieces of arts was like holding both the sunset and sunrise in one's hands.

"Link, snap out of it and help me!"

Link awoke from his trance, ready to fight. Mido was gasping for air, cuts across his face and arms. Knowing full well that he wouldn't last much longer, Link charged forward, stabbing through the underside by shifting all of his weight behind the tips of the swords, like sticking a nail into a piece of wood and striking it with the megaton hammer.

Link ignored the repugnancy of the inside of a giant spider and began slashing away, satisfying sounds of major organs being split in two, knowing that this foul thing was going to go down. Dual-weapon spin attacks, jumping slashes and combos suited Link's fancy just fine.

Link struck a vital part.

Skulltula bits scattered like a Like Like that had just swallowed ten bombs at once.

Out of the mess of the blood and organs came the familiar bright green shine.

"Mine!" Mido made a dive for the Kokiri emerald, only to miss by a few inches as Link calmly grasped the Sacred Stone.

"Lucky grab…"

Link smiled, then looked down upon his weapons. No longer were they in their battle prepared conditions, they had returned to their original sizes and sharpness. Now knowing how to activate them, Link made a mental note to thank Saria…sooner or later.

Light surrounded the pair as the floor underneath them sank until it was no longer visible.

…

"…"

"Relax, Mido, I don't need another Black Skulltula." Mido let out the air he had been holding.

"Excellent job, you two!" They turned to the Great Deku Sprout.

"Link!" Saria ran up to the two of them, slowing to a halt.

"You made it out alive!"

"Ever doubt us for a second?" Link smirked.

"…"

"…What?"

"Link, did you shrink?" Saria raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, right." Link swallowed the plants he still held within his mouth. It took a few moments, but Link returned to normal size.

Saria smiled, bringing Link back to calm, "I think those herbs that I gave you return you to a certain age."

"Actually…" the three turned and listened to what the Great Deku Spirit had to say, "Link, you have become so attached to the Kokiri village that when you combine your spirit with that of the forest, you return to the age you see yourself most as when you think of the forest."

"But when I had two, I only went back two years."

"That may be true, but if you have any more than three, they will simply heal wounds and give you more energy, the lowest you can go, for you, apparently, is age ten."

"…wow."

"Link, let me see the Kokiri emerald." Link handed over the trinket to the Great Deku Sprout, who spoke into it so quickly and quietly that Link could not comprehend his words. Finally the Great Deku Sprout opened his eyes and gave the emerald back to Link.

"Link, I want you to take this stone with you to the royal castle and speak with Princess Zelda. Surely she has already sensed the return of Ganondorf by now, and she should have a plan of action."

"How come he gets the emerald?" Mido pouted.

"Mido, you have a much different task than Link, but no less important."

"Okay," Mido said, annoyed but accepting his word nonetheless.

"Link, I need you to depart as quickly as possible, take whatever you need and go within the next hour."

"I'll be gone in fifteen minutes."

The Great Deku Sprout smiled upon him as Link got up and ran for his house to get everything that he needed.

…

_I suppose this is what I've been yearning for. After all, nothing like a little fighting to bring some excitement back to my life, _Link told himself, as he drank down the last of the milk in the bottle and stuffed his pack to the brim with Deku seeds.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead one last time, Link turned and walked outside, down the ladder and stopped to take one last look at his home before leaving.

It had come so sudden, he thought. But evil waits for no one.

As Link crossed the bridge, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Just going to leave without saying good-bye?" he turned around, expecting to see Saria smiling, but saw far from it.

"…I…was in a hurry…I figured…"

She smiled, bringing relief back to his spirit, "I knew you would forget, you thick-headed Deku scrub!"

She handed him another pouch. Inside was another set of herbs.

Link hesitated. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"About that sword…how did you do that?"

"We're friends, we do things for each other."

"…"

"And after all, I **am** a sage of time!"

Link smiled, but was taken aback when Saria tightly embraced him, taking him completely by surprise.

"Remember, be careful out there."

He withdrew from her, smiled once more, nodded, turned and ran towards the future.

Saria felt sad. She felt like a young girl whose father had gone off to war. A teenager whose best friend had left for battle. An adult woman whose husband had to leave to fight. A mother whose son had no choice but to defend humanity's future.

For truly the first time in her life, tears left Saria's weakened eyes. She knew that her lifelong companion had left for a truly great cause, selflessly sending himself out to fight while the rest of the world sat behind and watched.

But she knew Link, who was one who was willing to shoulder the burden, one willing to add to the load when others were too weak, tired or troubled to manage their own. And she thought, that it was this that brought Link true happiness, regardless of what others thought of him.

Smiling from true sincerity, Saria turned and headed for home as the fate of the universe blazed his own trail once again.


	3. Teamwork

A/N: Great news! I spent the entire week making this chapter, and as a result of my gross negligence, I get to spend the next two days **working my ass off** on seven homework assignments and two projects. Isn't life grand?

Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Anyway, school's out in two weeks, so once summer vacation starts on the 22nd, I should be started to halfway done with chapter three.

As the calm, wise one would say, patience is a virtue.

**Disclaimer:**I do not, never did, and probably never will own The Legend of Zelda.

* * *

Chapter II: Teamwork

A gentle gust blew through Link's green tunic as he ran out into the field of Hyrule, full of energy and spirit. He performed back flips, front flips, cartwheels and somersaults, once again knowing the joy of freedom. But he only allowed himself this gratification for a few moments, getting back on track was the real focus.

Knowing that he'd never make it to the castle before dark on foot, Link extracted his ocarina and hit just the right notes. He was rewarded with the neigh of an old friend who trotted down the field at a rapid pace.

"That's my girl," Link said, stroking Epona's coat before pulling himself up onto the magnificent animal. It had been a few weeks since Link had ridden a horse, so he spent the next few minutes getting used to riding, then decided to pay Malon a visit at Lon Lon Ranch, knowing that it would make her happy.

As he galloped towards a place that was full of fond memories, Link looked out to the slowly descending afternoon sun and sighed. _Such beauty_, he thought, knowing first hand how much of a shame it would be to lose this precious land to the forces of evil. He had, in any case, been there to see it, which made him appreciate life even more as Epona slowed to a steady trot up the small slant onto Lon Lon property.

Link followed the heartwarming voice to the center of the field upon his trusty steed. Malon loved to sing, Link loved to hear her sing, in the end, everybody won. Right before he could call her name, however, he heard the barn door slam behind him, followed by unfamiliar voices. Link quickly dismounted Epona, dove around the wall to make sure he remained unnoticed and beckoned Epona over, stroking her gently to make certain she didn't call out at the wrong time. Cautiously peeking his head around the barn in order to get a closer look, Link saw something that brought him a great deal of surprise.

"So, do we have a deal?" Ingo's voice, he knew.

"Yes, five hundred rupees, as promised." Link watched Ingo hand a small bottle containing a fairy to a violet-cloaked figure with a large red eye, the only thing visible underneath its dark hood. He saw the figure nod, turn and fade away. Puzzled, Link figured his visit would need to wait; this was serious.

"Hi, Link!" Link was so startled, he jumped and landed on the ground, face first. He stood up, made himself presentable and turned to face Malon.

"Great Triforce, don't scare me like that!" he said, wiping the dirt off his person.

Malon stood there, fiddling silently and looking up at him timidly. This, Link thought, would certainly be a terrible moment to pass up, but he knew there were more important things at hand.

"Sorry, Malon. Something just came up, so I have to go..." Link said sadly, scratching his head.

"Oh..." she responded quietly, looking towards the ground and shuffling her feet. Link, realizing her disappointment, took her hand and spoke in a convincing voice, "I'll be back in a few days, alright?" She gave Link a smile that melted his heart. He reluctantly returned the gesture and took off towards the town of Hyrule. Just seeing Malon's smile was certainly a sufficient motivation.

Link crossed the drawbridge just as the sun sank below the horizon, hearing it slam behind him. Sitting in the middle of Hyrule Square after dark wasn't the most inviting of settings, but Link knew that he needed answers. He saw five people, a young couple slowly making their way down the street, two conspicuous men standing near an alley in a conversation, and a peddler who sat behind a stand, smiling.

"You, boy..." Link turned to face the peddler, granting him his attention.

"You look like a strong young fellow, perhaps you'd be interested in some of my merchandise?" he said, waving his hand over the counter.

Link nodded and glanced over the selection. He saw a cracked glass bottle, sheets and wires of metals, broken Deku sticks and cracked Deku nuts. He saw nothing of real interest.

But as he glanced over it again, something caught his eye.

"What's this?" he questioned.

"Ah, you have exceptionally sharp eyes, kid. Especially for one so young," The peddler held up the item, a shimmering golden cloth.

"This is one of the finest of wares I have seen in my day. Those who hold it seem to feel their spirits rise. Would you care to test its capabilities?" Link took the cloth from the peddler and wrapped it around his arm. He felt somehow energized, as if he could go on for days on end.

"What kind of magic is this?" he asked.

"Magic that of which I do not know, good child," the peddler smiled, not intimidating Link in the least, but making him contemplate the reliability of the man in front of which he stood. He could think of nothing that he couldn't fix or change in order to make foolproof, so he was sure it would be okay to spend a little money.

"I see…how much?"

The peddler tapped his cane on the ground, which Link took as a sign of contemplation.

Scratching his chin and staring into space, he spoke, "Hmm, I could let it go for 500 rupees, but then again there was that incident-" He smacked himself in the forehead as he saw the smile on Link's face.

"My goodness, thinking out loud again! Okay kid, how about…200 rupees?" he grinned.

"…Maybe not…" even for one with such valor and integrity, Link certainly knew how to beguile someone.

"C'mon!…I mean…" he coughed, then continued, "Are you sure you want to let this amazing deal pass you by?"

"Yep," said Link, sounding to the peddler like a real smart-alec by now.

"Humph, fine…how about 100 rupees?"

"Fifty."

"Ninety."

"Sixty."

"Eighty."

"Seventy-five."

"Seventy."

"Deal."

"I meant seventy-seven."

"Too late."

"Damn."

Link tied his new possession around ankle, pulling the sock up over it just in case he ever needed to go by stealth, which he felt would be a situation he would find himself in very soon.

"Thank you kind sir." Link bowed his head and dropped seventy rupees onto the counter. The figure made quick sweep of the stand, removing his merchandise instantly, and turned to leave.

"Wait," The figure turned to face Link again, "Have you heard anything about a black market on stolen fairies?" Link asked.

The two men in the corner raised their heads at the mention of his words, and turned into an alley with haste.

"Hold that thought," said Link, hoisting up his gear and making a mad dash after them.

"Stop!" The pair did no such thing. Thinking quickly, Link withdrew his hookshot and fired, tugging back sharply on the chain once the hook passed one's ankle, creating a lasso effect that bound the men's legs together.

Link crouched down in front of one of them and grabbed him by the collar.

"Talk, what do you know about this 'fairy' business?"

"I ain't telling you nothing, punk," he spat.

"Herman, maybe you should just tell him. I mean, if this kid could catch us, he's probably pretty dangerous," said the other.

"You idiot! Don't tell him our names!"

Herman took a swipe at Link with a concealed knife. Link simply knocked the weapon from his hands and tightened his grip on the man's shirt.

Link had an idea. He carefully removed the Black skulltula from his back and waved it in Herman's face.

"You see this? Unless you tell me what I want to know, I'm going to let this thing loose." The skulltula wriggled violently in his hands, as if thirsty for blood. Or maybe it was just playing the part. Link hoped it was the first one.

The thief smirked, "You little punk, you don't have the guts."

Much as Link hated it, he was right. But they didn't know that, and Link knew a thing or two about knowing how the mind works.

He knelt down in front of the mugger's face, waving the skulltula in his face and holding a stern expression, "Try me."

The skulltula began twitching its limbs violently and clicking its teeth, Link still hoping it was just an act, a very good one at that.

Sweat began pouring down the thieves' faces.

"Alright! The Gerudos to the west have started a black market, paying people for bringing them fairies, dead Deku scrubs and some other stuff, that's all I-oof!"

Link couldn't believe what he was hearing; the pure shock of it compelled him to lose his grip. The Gerudos? Sure, they might be vicious thieves, but at least they had some integrity, this seemed too unlikely. But sure that we wasn't going to get anything else from these two jokers, he grabbed them both by then ankles and dragged them up the path to Hyrule castle.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

"Be quiet! There's only one place for crooks like you. And there are people trying to sleep, haven't you two ever heard of consideration?"

"Yes, and it would be **considerate** of you to stop dragging us through the dirt!" Herman grunted, agitated.

Sighing, Link stopped, Link retracted the hookshot just enough to keep his prisoners tied, than lifted them up by the chain.

"Wow, he's pretty tough for a kid, Herman."

"Shut up…" said Herman, now truly aggravated.

…

"Halt! Who goes there?" called one of the guards from the castle gate, polished armor shimmering in the moonlight.

"I found these two wretches discussing something along the lines of a black market being operated by the Gerudos to the west. Would you know something of it?"

"Unfortunately not, but we shall castigate and question them. Good work, young citizen," the soldier responded, saluting crisply.

Sick of being called young, kid, punk, child or whatever else adults referred to adolescents as these days, Link circled around to head out to Gerudo Valley, fully aware that he was disobeying the Great Deku Sprout. But he could consider it a "side quest", he thought; there certainly was no harm in looking into some trouble. Who knew? Maybe he'd find a certain long lost friend of his.

"Halt! None may pass!"

Link slowly approached the guard by the drawbridge, flashing his permission card from princess Zelda herself. Being considered a hero by somebody so high in power certainly had its perks.

The guard straightened and saluted, "My mistake, sir. Open the gates!" He cried, banging the end of his spear against the tarmac. Link didn't have time to wait; he simply scuttled up the wood, jumped into the moat, climbed out and broke into a sprint. The more Link thought about it, the faster he ran. Really, he knew that these stakes were high, but with her help, he might just be able to turn the tide of things.

The guard, flabbergasted, banged his spear again, "Close the gate."

_Dumb kid_, he thought.

…

Somewhere in the Gerudo desert, three mysterious figures walked in from the furthest of wests, glistening in the eternal sun like mirages from an oasis. Two of them stood just under six feet, holding rather unconventional weapons.

One wore a dark shade of red, and from the looks of it, was a woman. Her long black hair flowed in the heat, resembling something along the lines of black crystal thread. She wiped sweat from her brow and flicked it to the sand, evaporating before it could touch the golden earth. Her figure was trim, a very beautiful woman, she knew. But that could have been considered a mask for what lay underneath, an undying fire that could never be doused, even after death, that flame would rise.

In her hands lay a coiled chain, exceptionally sharp at a glance, three knives obtruding from the edges. Across her back was an unusually elongated bow and ruby quiver.

A small serpent rose from the sand, looking for a snack. What it received was an arrow through its skull, the head of the projectile resembling an animal's tooth.

The other, shorter figure made his way over to the deceased animal and yanked out its four teeth, withdrew a cylindrical piece of wood, injected the snake's venom into the reserve which he fed through the tip of the bone, making an arrow in one fluid motion.

The man's speed was truly incredible, as well as his skill. However, the first thing that truly caught the eye was the man's rather impressively sized scythe hanging from the back of his dark blue uniform. This was the only weapon he carried, but it had been stained a dark red, presumably from blood.

The third figure stood over six feet, fully clad in black, a long, narrow cape flowing from behind. As the wind blew in the opposite direction, as wind tends to do, the cape flew backwards, revealing three sheaths lined along the man's back. He wore little armor, but perhaps the most distinguishing feature was the pair of sunglasses, which shrouded the only part of his body uncovered by fabric.

The tallest man took a step forward, the other two following closely behind.

"How much longer?" questioned the shorter male.

"All due things in time, Kyou. Remember that patience is invaluable." Spoke the taller.

"C'mon, why can't we pick up the pace?" questioned the female.

"Because, Hebi, if we were to move any faster, you would faint from exhaustion. Hell, **I** can last longer in the heat than you." Underneath her almost entirely concealed face, Kyou swore he saw Hebi's face turn red with anger, which came to him as absolutely no surprise.

"You'd better watch it you little son of a-"

"In my presence, Hebi, swearing portrays the speaker as the fool, although it is generally the fool who speaks out in the first place."

"So you're saying that you're a fool?" Hebi inquired, quite amused with her response.

"Am I human?" he asked, calmly.

"What?"

"Just answer the damned question…" Kyou muttered impatiently.

"Yes," spoke Hebi, directing her agitation towards Kyou.

"Then I do suppose I am quite foolish, perhaps to the point of brilliance," the two couldn't see it, but Kyou and Hebi almost knew that their leader was smirking.

"Huh?" said Hebi, puzzled.

"Geez, Hebi, try using your brain for once!"

Kyou's outburst was answered by a sharp clang of metals as Hebi's metal claw-like weapon struck out against the flat of Kyou's scythe. The taller figure simply pushed through the duo's argument and continued forward.

Hebi retracted her weapon, placed a hand on her brow and shook her head, "Why did I join up with you two in the first place?"

"Because you said, 'I need your assistance in acquiring some hidden treasures.' You also hold a great deal of respect for him, and, if I'm not mistaken, you're quite attracted to him as well."

Hebi sighed, "I suppose a deal is a deal, then." She wiped the sweat from her brow and continued after the man she so well respected, followed by the one whom there was no one she held in greater animosity.

…

As the sun rose from over the horizon, Link yawned lazily while Epona continued to gallop towards the edge of the field to the Gerudo hideout. He had been moving for a day straight without sleep for the first time in a long while. Link knew that unless he got some rest, he would be in absolutely no shape worthy of fighting massive hordes of bandits. He pulled on Epona's reins to make her stop, dismounted and found a nice place to relax underneath a large tree.

He opened his pack and withdrew a handful of Deku nuts. Hard as they were, Link always found them to be quite tasty, so he popped a few into his mouth and confirmed that he had enough left for ammunition. Fluffing up his extra tunics as a pillow and pulling down his cap to provide a bit of shade from the sunlight, Link lied back and thought that life couldn't get any better. He supposed that this was something that adults lost, the ability to simply lie back and enjoy the things that surrounded them, too busy with "adult matters" to think about things like that, he'd heard them say.

He shrugged, _their loss_, he thought, and drifted off to dream land.

…

**_Link!_**

_Whoa, am I hearing things?_

_**Link, it's me, the Great Deku Sprout!**_

_Um, how did you get inside my head?_

_**Link, I have the power of telepathy, and the ability to determine your exact location and situation.**_

_Um…_

_**Calm down, I know that you left Hyrule Castle in order to figure out the issue of stolen fairies. That's where I sent Mido.**_

_But, what about Navi?_

_**Link, you need to do as you were instructed, and-**_

_Great Deku Spirit, I'm sorry, but I need to search for Navi._

_**Link, I was going to say that in order to complete your instructions, you might require some assistance. Some friends of yours might require your assistance as well.**_

_…Thank you, Great Deku Spirit._

Within his dreams, Link saw the smiling faces of his friends, something that would carry on in his memory for the duration allowed to the system of time.

…

Link awoke rather relaxed underneath his shaded spot below the bright, noon, Hylian sun. Reluctantly, he rose, yawned, stretched, and the usual routine of things people tend to do when they rise from slumber.

Link withdrew a bottle of fresh water and gulped down the last of it. Knowing that he'd probably need more, he untied Epona's harnesses, climbed upon her saddle and aimed straight for the gates that had always blocked the entrance to Lake Hylia.

Once he jumped the bars, Link beckoned for Epona to speed up towards the mirror surface of the lake, truly a mesmerizing sight. Pulling back on Epona's reins, he jumped off and walked towards the surface of the water, extracting five or six empty bottles.

Once when Link had visited the town of Hyrule's bazaar, Link had opened his rucksack to store his supplies when the customer to his left noticed the vast variety and quantity of provisions that resided within his bag.

"My goodness, young sir. You must be quite a traveler to have such a great amount of supplies with you. More than I've ever seen, in fact! Please, tell me where you came upon such a expedient device!" the man had exclaimed, his excitement and forward nature somewhat irritating to Link. Nevertheless, he explained to him that several years prior to this story, Link resided within the Kokiri forest, and that all children there had been blessed with magic, being allowed to carry great amounts of whatever they required.

He had also warned him that adults were exempt from these blessings, and that those who went in search for them were often doomed to be forever lost.

The man, flabbergasted that one as young as Link could ever be so dishonest (although his words were true), stomped off towards the south in search of magical abilities.

Link and the store manager never saw him again…

Thinking of this always made Link feel uncomfortable, he had never wanted to send somebody to eternal dismay, or happen to kill any that had become a stalfos, but as the Great Deku Sprout had once told him, sometimes the right thing to do is the wrong thing to do in disguise.

Plugging the last bottle closed, Link returned all of his bottles to his pack and climbed upon Epona once again and beckoned her to gallop straight for the desert.

Once he passed the red rocks and the amount of time it took to become accustomed to the blazing heat, Link pulled Epona to a complete stop, falling off in the process. He stood up, rubbed the back of his head, and wondered why the bridge had been cut. He pulled out his hookshot to try and grapple his way across, but the target that had gotten him there before was gone.

He stood puzzled for a few minutes before innovation struck him. After carefully removing it from his back, Link threw his prized black skulltula to the other side. It crawled up and spun a web around the two posts, giving Link a clear shot. Before he crossed the crevice, he pet Epona on the head and shooed her off, he'd call her again later.

Link took aim and fired the hookshot, heard a satisfying click, hit the trigger again and flew across the narrow, yet deep chasm. As soon as he landed on the dirt, he recollected his tool, watching it slowly crawl upon his back underneath his shield.

Link started slowly started forward, then felt his legs cease their movements, a sickening crack the last sound he heard before falling to the ground unconscious.

…

"Throw her in the dungeon with that punk."

_They threw another kid down here? Probably just some joker who thought he'd make a good Gerudo, _thought Nabooru as she hit the warm tile floor of the single room prison cell. She looked up, sucking in the pain to see a familiar kid sprawled out across the flooring.

"Link!"

Link stirred from his slumber and slowly opened his eyes.

"…Nabooru? Ow…" Link sat up and rubbed his head, an immense amount of pain pulsating from behind.

"What's going on? Why is the boss of the Gerudos inside her own cell?"

"It seems that some rogues from the west broke in and put my entire crew in our own dungeons."

"No joke? I'd assume you'd know how to escape your own prison?"

Nabooru shook her head, "Can't get out, they blocked all of the secret exits and scrambled the locks, we're stuck here."

"We'll see about-" Link fell silent as he stood without the burden of extra weight, knowing without looking that all of his items were gone, "These guys were really thinking ahead."

"That's just it, they were **men**."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No man has broken into the Gerudo fortress since, well, you did four years ago."

"Has **anyone** ever broken in besides me?"

"That's not the point."

Frustrated, Link glanced around for some clue as to how he'd be able to escape his rather spacious cell. And then it hit him.

Reaching frantically into his pockets, he silently cheered within his head as he pulled the bag of herbs given to him by Saria.

"Ha! They didn't think to take these from me!"

Nabooru was confused, "How are those going to help us?"

Link pulled three leaves from the bag and dropped three into his mouth, chewed and waited. Nabooru watched in astonishment as Link almost instantly shrunk to the size of a small child.

Slowly and carefully, Link squeezed himself through the bars. But about halfway through, he got stuck. "Uh-oh."

Nabooru stood up and pushed him the rest of the way through. Link turned to Nabooru and asked, "Where should I go first?"

She pointed to the right, "All of the cells are in the other direction so you're going to need to find your stuff first. And if you're lucky, you might find something that will come in handy."

Link nodded and headed off while Nabooru sat back and twiddled her thumbs, gathering strength. She knew that she would need it.

…

As soon as Link entered the first chamber, he noticed a cell to his right that had a good deal of his supplies. Figuring that it was probably a trap, Link carefully slipped his hands through the bars to recover his sword and rucksack, knowing that those were the two most important things among his bottles, Deku sticks and Eye of Truth. As soon as he removed the weapon and bag from their places, however, the floor within the cell collapsed, sending the remainder of Link's items down into darkness.

Relieved that he hadn't fallen down too, Link turned around, much to his surprised, to see that the entire chamber's floor was giving way. Before he could act, Link was sent tumbling below.

Luckily, he landed on his feet, but the shock from the fall was too great, Link felt his legs shake from the plummet for a few moments before recovering his bearings and recuperating from the feeling.

He saw a chest in the corner, prayed to the goddesses that it was his hookshot, and slowly opened it. Carefully, Link removed his bomb bag from the trunk. In a fit of rage, the sack flew across the room against the wall.

Link had fallen into more traps than he ever had before. Whoever he was dealing with, they had predicted his moves, laid traps he hadn't predicted and whenever he seemed to find something that could help him, he was getting stuck somewhere.

Muttering curses to himself, Link gathered up the scattered bombs and stuck them within his pack. He looked upwards and saw a hookshot target, seemingly there only to mock him.

Then it hit him. Link still had the herbs in his mouth, and he was traveling exceptionally light. Maybe he could wall jump his way to the top. The room looked narrow enough, and he could probably break the door open with a solid kick.

Backing up and rubbing his boots against the floor for traction, Link took a running start and jumped towards the wall. As soon as his foot struck the brick, he launched himself upwards towards the other side, and continued this movement fluidly like water. As soon as he reached the top, he pushed exceptionally hard, extended his free leg and aimed for the cell door. As if by magic, a stone block appeared in front of his exit.

Link felt his ankle shatter, then fell to the floor in a crashing heap just as before. Grabbing his leg and grimacing in pain, Link pulled another herb from his pocket and began chewing again, the pain disappearing as soon as it began.

Link waited a few minutes, returned to standing position and performed the wall jumps again. This time, however, he jumped over the door and grabbed onto the bars. Climbing to the upwards corner in a safe distance, Link removed a bomb from his bag and quickly slid the fuse against the wall, creating enough friction to light the explosive.

Link tossed it towards the door, and sure enough, it landed on the stone slab that impeded his progress and watched it explode into rubble.

Making his way back, Link kicked the door open and stood on the floor again. Stomping it a few times to be sure it didn't give way, Link made his way forward.

Inside his current hall, Link saw a big chest in the distance. Looking around to be certain that there were no traps or anything else that might surprise him, Link felt around the walls and rolled a few non-ignited bombs down the ground to make sure that he didn't trigger anything.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred, which in this case happened to be the quiet roar of the sand that pierced through the thick dungeon walls.

Cautiously making his way through anyway, Link recovered his supplies and made it to the chest in one piece.

Kicking the chest to see if it would explode first, Link waited, and nothing happened. Carefully opening the chest, Link looked down and saw darkness. This was unusual, chests usually had visible bases.

Link reached down into the wooden chest and felt around. He touched something soft, tightened his grip and pulled. Out of the chest came a jet-black tunic, just small enough for Link in his current size.

_I wonder what this does? Guess I'll just have to try it out,_ he thought. Link turned around to make sure that nobody was watching, ran behind the chest and pulled off his sweaty green tunic. He pulled his new clothes over his head, they slid on perfectly, soft as Hylian silk. Link stretched and walked around, then placed on his perhaps favorite feature, a jet black cap to match. They were comfortable, flexible and pretty good-looking. Wondering just what they could do that was so special, Link stuffed his Kokiri tunic into his pack and jumped forward a few times. As soon as he did, arrows shot out from the walls.

Bracing for the pain, Link felt a sharp stinging in his left arm. He had expected more, though. Slowly opening his eyes, willing to expect whatever fate he had encountered, Link was surprised to see only one arrow in his arm. He turned to his right and saw approximately twenty-seven other projectiles jutting from the right side of his torso, yet he felt no pain. He turned around to see them stuck in the wall behind him.

Completely puzzled, Link stuck his left hand through his body and pulled an arrow out from the wall. Neither his person nor his hand felt anything.

Looking downwards, Link noticed that the right half of his body stood within a shadow, seemingly invisible.

"…Nice." Link stuttered aloud, completely in shock that he had come so close to death, and that death had literally flown right through him.

Link stepped back from the shade and saw his body return to normal, pulling the arrow from his arm, throwing it to the floor and observing the cut heal itself within a matter of seconds, thanks to the leaves in his mouth.

_So this tunic allows me to become invulnerable when I step into the shadows? Maybe it only works against certain things, but maybe I become invisible too, or at least difficult to see._

Link sprinted back towards the end of the room and took the remaining door to his left.

As soon as he entered, he heard footsteps from the room beyond. Quickly, he dived into the shadows to his side to avoid being caught.

From the doorway emerged a slender woman dressed from neck to toe in dark red. Her face was young and beautiful, her hair flowing back like the waves of the ocean. This was not what caught Link's attention, however. What captured his focus was the rather intimidating weapon hanging from her waist.

Link covered his mouth to keep himself from making any sounds; invisibility does not impair someone's hearing.

As soon as she reached the doorway, she hesitated and looked straight in Link's direction. Link held his breath and reached for his sword. After a few moments, the woman shrugged and headed through the door, thankfully not the one that Link had just left from.

After he was certain that the woman was gone, Link headed straight through the door that she had just entered and went up a flight of stairs to the roof of fortress. Looking around frantically, Link did not see what he expected; no guards patrolled the grounds of the stronghold. He looked around for another entrance and saw a drop into another room to his right. Link made his way over and dropped down.

As soon as Link touched the floor, he leaned against a partition to catch some air, realizing that it felt somewhat brittle. Link pulled out his sword and struck the brick, hearing that familiar sound that told him what to do. Link pulled a bomb from his pack, ignited the fuse and stood back.

Sure enough, the wall crumbled to reveal a large chest. Link ran over and opened the crate, finding his shield and hookshot. Just as he turned around to leave, however, iron bars dropped from the ceiling and locked him inside. The walls around him began to move inwards, telling Link that if he didn't move fast enough, he'd be as flat as a leaf if he didn't move. He looked upwards to see a hookshot target, frantically removed his hookshot and fired. He felt himself being jerked upwards, but at a speed slower than he was accustomed to. Link looked upwards to see the ceiling falling at the same time.

Thinking quickly, Link swung backwards, then forwards and dived through a window, his hookshot retracting just before it was crushed to dust.

As soon as Link hit the floor, however, bombchu began crawling in from the walls of the narrow hallway. Link removed his shield and stood on top of it, bracing for the explosion. The bombchu detonated, launching Link straight towards the ceiling at least sixty feet high. More bombchu crawled along the walls, but these moved in different directions, like they were moving towards Link.

Knowing not what else to do, Link unsheathed the Kokiri dagger and began slashing wildly, watching several remote bombs fall to the floor and set off a chain reaction. Link watched in a horror as a light sped along a fuse attached to the walls and the ceiling.

Several powder kegs dropped from the ceiling. Link didn't know what to do, especially when he noticed that the rather impressively sized explosives were being dragged along by two or more bombchu each.

Link looked downwards, seeing no exit, but he did happen to notice a crack in the floor. He pulled out a bomb and threw it toward the split in the ground, saw it explode and watched in dismay as the smoke cleared to see that his bomb had done nothing.

Then it snapped into his head. Link pulled his shield out from under his feet and extended his legs to gain speed as he plummeted back towards the floor. He turned his head to see the powder keg-dragging bombchu following behind him.

Right before he hit the floor, Link jammed his shield underneath his feet and braced for impact. The shock quickly shot up his legs, but the herbs that remained in his mouth quickly rid him of the uncomfortable sensation.

Link picked up his shield and made a desperate sprint for the end of the room. As soon as the bombchu and powder kegs caught up with him, he ran straight for the wall and directly up it, seemingly defying gravity, flipped off backwards while simultaneously removing a bomb, igniting it and throwing it straight downwards.

The bombchu, as Link predicted, could not turn around quickly enough to escape the explosion.

A blinding flash of light enveloped the dank room as Link ran for the other side of the hall. He felt the floor fall to a slant, so Link jumped upon his shield once again and slid down the ramp. To his left, Link saw a deep chasm with the faint twinkle of spike tips at the bottom. Behind him, Link heard a crash. He turned his head to see a boulder literally covered with bombs.

He looked forward, seeing jets of water shooting from the walls, which would launch him straight to hell if he wasn't careful. Link ducked, weaved and jumped to avoid being knocked off the straightaway as the boulder began to gain ground on him

As soon as he passed the wall with the jets, the path turned to an upward slant, a second chasm on his right as well. Knowing that he'd lose a significant deal of speed just by sliding, Link dismounted his shield and began sprinting up the slope, the boulder just falling behind.

Link looked back to see the floor collapsing behind him. Without hesitating a heartbeat, Link sped up and ran straight for the doorway.

Just before he could dive through it, the door shut itself tight as Link saw the last bit of support disappear from beneath his feet.

…

_This place was way too easy_, Hebi Suterutu thought to herself as she wandered through the confines of her new palace.

_This is my kind of place, though. Spacious, unique, filled with prison cells, _Hebi smiled as she made her way from room to room.

_But seriously, what a bunch of amateurs! I made it through all of their traps, scrambled their locks and laid traps of my own in a matter of hours!_ She picked up a ruby encrusted statue from her new throne and examined it from different angles. Still smiling, she fell back onto the chair of her palace and threw her money into the air in pure delight.

A dark figure emerged from the doorway, interrupting her fun, "He wants you to take care of that Link kid, **now**."

Hebi's smile faded, "Relax you worm, my traps have probably finished him off by now."

"He can still sense Link's presence."

Hebi sighed as she stood up and headed for the doorway.

"Excuse me," she said sarcastically, pushing Kyou out of the way.

He grumbled to himself before disappearing in a shroud of smoke.

…

Link hung from a vine growing from the wall, panting as he stared into the darkness below.

_That was **way** too close, _he thought. Carefully, he pulled himself up and stared upwards, seeing nothing beyond the impenetrable darkness.

_For crying out-, haven't these guys ever heard of **torches**?_ Knowing not what else to do, Link began to climb, the worn spaces between the bricks making excellent hand/footholds. As soon as Link began his ascent, however, he was it in the head by something small and hard.

"Ow! What the-?" Link caught the small projectile in his hand, revealing a Deku nut, and a dud at that.

Link looked up and his eyes widened, Deku nuts began pouring down like rain in a storm. Knowing that climbing was going to get him killed, Link jumped from wall to wall, aware of the fact that his life depended on it.

Link got another idea and raised his shield above his head. That way, he could climb at his own pace and block the effects of paralysis. However, he only had one hand free, so he removed the Kokiri sword from his sheath and jammed it into a foothold.

Making a risky jump, Link pushed himself upwards and grabbed the handle with his teeth, pulling his body up with his arm and legs with the assistance of his abdomen. He did this three more times before he became fatigued again, knowing that it would certainly take a long time to reach the top at his current pace, so he took a moment to gain his bearings.

It wasn't long, though, before Link started to hear cracks along with the constant patter of Deku nuts against metal.

Link pondered for a few moments before realizing that his shield was the object making the noise. Withdrawing his hookshot and praying to the Triforce that he'd make it, Link pulled back his shield and began to jump upwards again.

Five minutes later, Link was almost out of breath. He had slipped and fallen several feet twice already, and the ceiling still wasn't visible. He had no choice; Link fired his hookshot and closed his eyes.

He released a heavy sigh when he felt the familiar feeling of being pulled straight upwards again.

As soon as he escaped from the column, Link felt solid ground once again and collapsed from exhaustion.

…

"Link? Link, wake up!"

Link slowly opened his eyes to see Mido standing over his head.

"Mido, what're you-? Oh, right. You were finding out information on the fairy black market," he said quietly, gently sitting up.

"And **you** were supposed to go speak with Princess Zelda about the other two spiritual stones you lazy nut-head!"

Link steadily rose to his feet and stretched to relieve some of the soreness he felt in his joints and muscles. Useful as Saria's plants were, they could only relieve him from the pain of serious injury, muscle tension could help itself.

"Link, I don't know whether or not we're going to find Navi here. I've already searched the entire complex, and it seems that one woman has the whole place running by herself. It's almost like she can be in two places at once."

Link was silent for a second.

"But I did find out some information on the black market. We need to save that for later, though. I recovered a bit of your stuff for you."

From his pockets Mido removed Link's Deku Shield, four bottles, his red and blue tunics, slingshot and boomerang.

"Here you go. Hurry up, we need to move."

Link sat in silence for several moments, refusing to look up.

"Link, c'mon," said Mido impatiently.

"Just shut up, would you?" Link muttered.

"What's your problem?"

Link stood up and grabbed Mido by the collar.

"What's the problem? I'll tell you what the problem is! I traveled through dense forests, fire, floods, sand, even through time and death with only one person with me. And now that one person who literally stood by me for years of my life is gone! Don't you tell me to calm down!" he yelled, tears building up within his tired eyes. Mido was silent.

"I traveled the world to find her! I fought evil sprits, saved countless worlds and stared death in the face more times than I have the capacity to remember! I searched for years on end and ended up in more dead ends than anyone should ever have to bear! I've taken more damage than you could comprehend, suffered through more hardships than the **gods** would understand, shouldered burdens of people who have no troubles, received not a single amount of sympathy or decency in my lifetime, and people look down upon me like I'm a speck of dirt! You show me how to deal with it, and then maybe I'll calm down!"

Link's hands were trembling with rage, Mido did not speak.

"I'm just a **kid** for crying out loud."

Link finally released Mido and fell to the floor in tears of rage and sorrow.

Mido rubbed his throat and turned for the door, giving Link time to think alone.

Several minutes later, Link rose from his sulking and went through the door on the opposite side of the room.

Inside the room where Link currently stood, he saw a single chest placed dead center. Warily making his way to the chest, Link opened it quickly to find his Lens of Truth. As soon as he pulled it from its place, however, areas in the walls opened up to reveal several arrows: fire, ice and light, and some other varieties that Link didn't want to become accustomed to anytime soon. Link turned around to see the doorway blocked by iron bars, and with absolutely no window, other exits or even cracks, Link pulled up the Lens of Truth and frantically searched for an opening, the only one he saw was a drop through the floor.

Knowing that he had no other choice, Link jumped down and landed on a rather large platform.

Surrounding the stage were several brightly lit torches and no ground.

"Well, well, well, it seems like the handsome kid finally made it."

Link looked around and brandished his sword, ready for a fight.

"Ooh, feisty, aren't we? I like that!" he could not find the voice, but Link stood at ready, or so he thought, at least until he felt a sharp pain in his backside that sent him skidding along the asphalt.

"But not too bright." He heard the woman giggle softly.

As quickly as possible, Link spun around and lunged at the figure, slicing through nothing but air.

"You're going to have to do better than that, kid!" This time the voice came resonated from the walls.

"Show yourself!" he yelled.

"Demanding! Very well." A shroud of smoke popped up at Link's feet, forcing him to jump backwards.

The woman who appeared from behind the smolder was none other than the one Link had seen before, but she wore a mask over her face this time, obstructing Link's view. She stepped backwards and bowed.

"Hebi Suterusu, I don't suppose you've heard of me?"

Link stared in reticence.

"I'll take that silence as a no. That's exactly what I was expecting!"

Her voice suddenly changed from warm and playful to cold and harsh, "Very well, shall we begin?"

Link ran forwards, weapon raised, but Hebi simply sidestepped out of the way, grabbed Link's arm and threw him in the opposite direction, sending him skidding along the floor.

Now officially angry, Link got up once again and threw down a spare Deku nut. As soon as the flash faded, Hebi had disappeared.

Link looked eagerly from side to side, his hands shaking from lack of focus.

Before he could react, a chain brandished from his rear caught Link's legs, cut his ankles and flipped him backwards, causing him to land on his back and severely hurt himself.

Link quickly got up, now bleeding and frustrated.

Hebi appeared in front of him. He charged and began swinging wildly, but she dodged all of his attacks with effortless movements. Link lunged straight at her, only to miss. Hebi grabbed his wrist and snapped it.

Flinching in pain, Link ran towards the other end of the platform to catch his breath.

Before he could relax, Hebi's knuckles connected with his face, causing immeasurable amounts of pain.

Like if a goron were to step on your head.

Link grabbed his face and stumbled backwards, grimacing from the pain.

In a matter of seconds, Hebi flashed across the arena in a series of attacks, generating cuts through Link's tunic and into his skin.

When Link could no longer stand, Hebi revealed herself from the shadows.

"You're a tough kid, but you're no match for-" she was cut short by a powerful jab to her stomach. Link smiled, trickery really was a powerful asset.

Before Hebi hit the ground, she disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Link swung around and thrust his blade straight into his opponent, only to watch her disappear again.

Link stopped and looked around to see several versions of the same person surrounding him.

"How do you expect to fight me when you don't even know where your target is, hmm?" she spoke mockingly.

"He doesn't have to fight, we'll do it for him."

Both Hebi and Link looked up to see daggers raining from the ceiling.

"Crap!" Hebi muttered as she jumped into the shadows as three of the torches went out.

"Link, are you okay?" Nabooru jumped down next to Link and helped him up. Mido jumped down next to her and ran forward, brandishing his favorite black skulltula.

Link tried to stand up, but collapsed instead. Nabooru handed him a small black pill.

"Eat this," she said.

"Don't interfere!" Hebi yelled, shooting a great deal of flame from her palm. Nabooru made a beckoning motion with her hands from the floor. Instantly, bricks rose from the ground and dissolved into sand. The fire connected with the sand, instantly resulting in a wall of distorted glass. Nabooru closed her fist, compressing the glass into a focused, solid projectile and shot it straight in Hebi's direction. Hebi grabbed the missile and crushed it with one hand. Nabooru swept her hands along the ground, the shards cutting at Hebi's feet. She simply dodged the attack by running to the side.

Mido held four Deku nuts between his fingers in one hand, flicking all of them to the ground simultaneously. Even so, Hebi was too fast.

She rose from the ground behind him and threw her chain forward. Mido stepped out of the way just in time, grabbed the chain and cut it in half. Impatiently, Hebi responded by shoving him out of the way, melting down the metal and restoring it to its original shape in a matter of seconds.

Link waited for the pill to take effect, then stood up and cracked his knuckles while Mido continued to fend of his target. Nabooru saw this, "Link, here!" she yelled, throwing him a scimitar.

Link caught it in midair and brandished it rather well, spitting the herbs that were still in his mouth to the floor. In a few moments, he returned to normal height.

Hebi stood and chanted under her breath. Within moments, several clones of Hebi surrounded the trio.

"Let's see if you can actually hit the right one with some luck."

"I don't need luck," Link muttered as he withdrew the eye of truth and looked around the arena. He turned around 180 degrees to see his adversary charging straight at him. Quickly brandishing his sword, Link swung forwards, hitting nothing.

Mido was sent flying backwards. Before he could react, Link was struck down as well.

"Not this time," Nabooru muttered as she created more sand from the brick below, compressed all of them into the shapes of knives. As soon as she snapped her fingers, Nabooru's weapons flew in every direction. Link heard a mutter of pain, turned around and threw a Deku nut straight at his target, satisfied to see his rival fall to the ground in a paralyzed state.

He ran forward and jammed his sword straight downwards, only to hit solid brick. Link waited for another attack, but it did not come. After several minutes, Link dropped his weapon and let out a great sigh of relief. He rubbed his eyes and slowly made his way over to his teammates.

Nabooru placed a hand on his shoulder, "Good job kid."

Next to where Link stood, a treasure chest appeared. Slowly, he turned to it and kicked open the lock. Inside were Link's three Great Fairy Crystals: Din's Fire, Farore's Wind and Nayru's Love and Link's black skulltula. Attached to the back of Din's crystal was a note:  
_You fought pretty well, kid. I suppose you've earned back your stuff, but don't think that this is the last of it. There are at least two more members that are much stronger than I am, so watch your back! That fire crystal of yours really came in handy, I don't really need it anymore, though, I can learn fire spells pretty easily. So keep training yourself, I look forward to fighting you again someday!_

_Hebi Suterusu_

Link folded up the letter, stuck it into his pocket and sighed again. Whoever these people were, they were tough. And the worst part of it was that they were only the least of his worries.


	4. Brotherhood

A/N: Hooray, it is finally summer! Now that I am out of the correctional facility known as public education for the next two months, I'll be able to do more things, like DDR, swordplay and other stuff. Oh yeah, maybe writing too…(joking)

Oh, and if anybody is confused by what you see around halfway through the chapter, recall that Biggoron always tended to roll his s's, r's and n's. Just want to make this as authentic as possible.

**Note**: This chapter is a tad more graphic than the first three, so if you have a really vivid imagination and a very weak stomach, keep a garbage can nearby just in case.

And…**Disclaimer**: still don't own the Legend of Zelda, but I do own the following characters: Kage Ochisuita, Kyou Gekido, Hebi Suterusu and Trigger.

* * *

Chapter III: Brotherhood

"He should be fine within the next few hours," Nabooru said softly to Mido, who nodded and looked through the window of the Gerudo's infirmary. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

_So this is what Link experienced before… _he thought, just becoming accustomed to traveling the world. Being confined to the forest for the duration of one's entire life, which for the Kokiri was an eternity, meant absolutely no threats from the outside world. But he had been stuck there for so long, Mido was simply awestruck by the things of the modern state of Hyrule.

Desert thieves. Bustling cities. Enormous palaces. Endless plains. Merchandise, wildlife, **graveyards**. Mido had never known anything like it. To be honest with himself, Mido really was quite jealous of Link. Not only was he one of the only people he had known who had been allowed contact with the foreign sights that Mido had had no idea existed, but Link had been gifted with such a charismatic nature that everybody seemed to prefer him.

He supposed that Link deserved his freedom, after what he had been through.

"Oww…" the two looked towards the hospital cot to see Link arise from his slumber.

"You feeling alright?" Nabooru asked.

Link nodded, hesitated, turned to his left and vomited. He sat up and said, "I guess that was a lie."

Nabooru brought him a glass of water. Link took it from her hand and stared at the ice cubes floating near the surface of the liquid.

"…Something wrong?" Link didn't answer; he simply stared at the fluid and sighed. Nabooru shook her head and left. Mido turned and continued to zone out.

Link was weary. He was under pressure, tense and confused. He didn't want to fight, but he knew that he had to do it. But he figured that if there was any better a time to clear his mind, it wasn't going to rear its head anytime soon.

Carefully getting up out of his bed, Link placed his feet on the floor and stood up. His legs were exceedingly sore, but he simply ignored the pain and slowly walked outside. The desert sun seemed unusually cool, especially during midday, so Link made his way around the grounds. He saw familiar faces of Gerudo guards who smiled as he passed by.

Link's eyes were drooping, he felt completely exhausted, but he did not want to rest at the same time. He had been so used fighting more often than sitting that his body had become accustomed to constant motion.

Reluctantly, Link made his way down the stairs and towards the exit of the valley.

He stumbled a few times, but continued to walk.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Link turned to see Nabooru running after him.

"You're in no condition to be standing, let alone walking," She said worriedly. He ignored her and made his way across the bridge.

Nabooru sighed and followed behind him, saying nothing, thinking profoundly. _Are all teenage boys like this?_

Link continued to make his way across the bridge, along the edge of Hyrule field and down to the entrance of Lake Hylia. Relieved that somebody had the common sense to put a gate in the fences, Link opened his way and continued to amble down to the edge of the water, wondering why he hadn't noticed it before.

As soon as he reached the water's edge, Link dropped his gear, stripped down to his shorts and jumped right into the water. For several minutes, he floated on the water and zoned out towards the sky. It was the first time in years that he had been able to see it from the Hylian's perspective. Sure, one could see the sky from the confines of Kokiri forest, but it the view was always impaired by the thick mist that covered the entire area.

Seeing the sky in its clear, pure beauty calmed Link like nothing else ever could.

Nabooru, upon seeing this, smiled softly. She lay back upon the grass and started to the sky as well, allowing herself to drift off into sleep.

The pure sheen of the afternoon skies matched the colors of Link's eyes almost perfectly, creating a mysterious balance to any onlooker who happened to be looking upon the young man's face. Normally, his eyes spoke of adventure, passion and a strong sense of justice, something that could never be broken.

But today, Link felt exceptionally off. His eyes did not possess the usual charismatic luster that made him so attractive from friends to complete strangers. They instead lacked of radiance, a dull blue that said nothing of compassion, but of confusion, loss and hopelessness.

Link almost cried. Looking out towards the heavens made him completely oblivious to his surroundings. It filled him with a strong yearning to go back to the way things were, and at the same time, a profound sorrow that perhaps, no other human could comprehend.

But Link did not cry. He could not find the strength or the urge. Or maybe Link had been cursed to suck it up and keep moving.

Link heard a low roar and looked onto the distance to see storm clouds patiently approaching his position. Link smiled, thinking that if he could not relieve the hurt, the Earth would do it for him.

And while he gazed over the clouds, Link swore on his life that he saw Saria's face in front of him. He saw her leaf green hair, radiant smile and warm blue eyes.

Never did Link feel so full of love and jealousy at the same time.

"Link, c'mon! This rain isn't good for someone like me!" Link took no notice of Nabooru.

"Fine, just make sure you come back later, we need to talk!" she yelled, turned and sprinted back for home.

It wasn't until the rain turned to a storm that Link finally rose from the water, picked up his belongings and headed for the edge of the lake. Soaking in the water for a while was just what Link had needed in order to get the tension out of his muscles.

What surprised Link, however, was the fact that the iron-gate that blocked the entrance to Lake Hylia before now stood well over ten feet high. There was no way that Link was going to leave now.

The significant question was how the gate became so high in the first place.

"Young sir?" Link turned to see a Zora standing directly in front of him, kneeling as if to show respect.

"Forgive me if I startled you, but my king would request your audience." Link nodded. The messenger stood, spun around and headed for the lake, "Please, follow me."

Without hesitation, Link began to move. Watching the Zora jump into the lake and dive, Link followed, thanks a great deal to the golden scale he had won by catching a twenty-pound fish not far from his current location, as the pond was only on the other side of the lake.

Link donned his nifty blue tunic. Jumping right back into the water, he plummeted to the bottom and swam through the rather tight entrance to Zora's domain.

The first thing that Link noticed was that the climate was considerably warmer than usual. As soon as he popped his head above the surface of the water, he noticed a lack of people around the usually populated area. The messenger was now making his way up the stairs; giving a faint sneer in Link's direction as if to say, "hurry up."

If there was one thing that Link hated more than Ganondorf, it was the snobby, arrogant, conceded Zoras. They were under the illusion that the ability to swim and breathe water made them automatically superior to all others, but Zoras cooked quicker than cuccos.

Mumbling random Kokiri curses he had known from Mido for quite a while, Link swam to the edge of the pool and made his way around the bend and up the stairs to the so called royal chamber.

He couldn't tell whether they were bodily fluids or just drops of water, but it seemed to Link like the king of Zoras looked exceptionally sweaty.

"Ah, yes, the 'hero' I was suggested to," Link nodded, fully aware that his royal highness was completely impervious to the fact that Link had saved his daughter's life only a few years ago.

"I have a task for you, and it may be a bit more challenging than what a human like you would be used to," the King of Zoras chuckled mockingly as Link rolled his eyes from pure irritation.

"I would like you to deliver this to Darunia atop Death Mountain," the King withdrew a small envelope and held it out over his palm. His arms were so incredibly scrawny however, that Link could not reach the message.

"Someone come up here and hand it to him!" he bellowed. Link's patience was beginning to wear thin. As soon as one of the King's servants gave him the letter, Link snatched it from his hand and left.

As soon as he reached the doorway of his confine recognized a shrill, very uninviting squeal of his "fiancé". Without a moment's hesitation, Link jumped into the waterfall and swam down Zora's river before the most annoying thing in the world could criticize him for being gone for well over three years.

As soon as he reached the gate that marked the entrance, Link pulled himself up from the water and made a run for the foot of Kakariko village. Mail delivery comes first, vital information later, Link had learned, in a method of attaining Biggoron's sword.

As soon as he entered the village, Link heard footsteps close behind. Turning around as quickly as possible, Link withdrew his blade and stood to face the air.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Link?" he re-sheathed his weapon and faced Sheik. It had been years, really.

"Look, Zel-, I mean, Sheik, I'm in the middle of something right now, can't this wait?"

"No, Link, this cannot." Link sighed and sat down upon the cool village grass.

"Link, what do you notice?"

"The fact that you're not a girl right now?" Sheik applied pressure to his/her temples in frustration.

"The **temperature**, Link. What do you notice about the **temperature**?" Link paused and thought for a moment. He got up and looked towards the peak of Death Mountain.

"Why is it so cold up here? Death Mountain is an active volcano, it's usually close to ninety degrees in this area," Link said, rubbing his hands together vigorously.

Sheik nodded, "Link, sit and listen." Link did as he was told, this time realizing that the grass was wet from the moisture in the air.

"The Prophecies have always been our guides of foreboding doom, and urgent savior. Recently, my father came across a mysterious passage within the castle, which led to an area of which we were ignorant to. Upon the walls of the chamber that the passage led to lay an ancient form of symbology that even we cannot comprehend."

"But there was one section that only I could understand. I did not tell my father because even I was too shocked to accept what I was reading. It did come completely clear to me as to how or why this was written, but it was obviously a prelude to impending destruction." Link rubbed his eyes and yawned. Sheik snapped in his face to keep him from dozing off.

"Anyway, I've had the time to think about it, and it came to me that I should tell you exactly what it said. This is exactly what I read upon those walls."

_'Light consumes shadow, and darkness covers justice. This is the law of the universe._

_The universe shall always form a balance between these two governing forces, sometimes in way of person, others in form of spirit._

_All are gifted the privilege to choose their own path, but each is influenced within confounding strata. Each shall eventually settle for one, and as for every one upon the desired side, there will be one to counter the force to maintain the balance. This is also rule._

_But it will not always remain within perfect equilibrium. Over time, the balance of one may overturn the other, causing catastrophic chaos within the system._

_Remember that even gods can make mistakes.'_

A bead of drool hung from Link's mouth as he snored loudly. Sheik sighed heavily and shook his/her head, "For the hero of time, you can really be an idiot." And with that, he/she stepped back a few feet, threw a Deku Nut to the ground and disappeared the moment the flash faded away.

Link snapped to awareness and stood up. He heard Sheik's faint voice from the shadows, "Link, we'll speak again in a more private place."

Link nodded, although to where he did not know, and headed straight for the peak of Death Mountain.

As soon as he reached the base of the trail, however, a surprisingly large swarm of Tektites dropped from the ledge overhead. Smiling and knowing that the fight would be over before it started, Link withdrew Din's fire, let his magical power flow into the amplifying crystal and watched in anticipation as the spider-esque creatures fell to the dirt as flaming insects.

Making his way up the bend and round up the mountain, Link realized that he was not greeted with the usual threat to his life of Gorons barreling down the hill, sending Link into the crevice below in the process. There wasn't even the usual man guarding the entrance to Dodongo's cavern.

As soon as he reached the entrance to Goron city, Link noticed that it had been shut tight with a note attached to the wall that read: Attention! Goron City is hereby closed until further notice. If you wish to speak with us, you must make your way up to the peak of Death Mountain. Notice: a Goron tunic is currently unnecessary.

Baffled by the message, Link withdrew his ocarina and recited the Bolero of Fire. Surprised not to see the usual flare of red lights, Link played the song again, the melody having no effect once again.

Frustrated, Link put the ocarina back into his pocket and headed back around the bend to climb up to the trail that led to the top of the volcano. Knowing from past experience that going up there without a shield was pure stupidity, if not suicide, he withdrew his Hylian shield.

He reconsidered his choices; his Hylian shield had been badly damaged from Link's previous excursions. Grumbling, he put the shield back into his pack and withdrew his mirror shield, squinting his eyes to keep the brilliant reflection of sunlight from blinding him.

Placing the shield on his back, Link somersaulted down the ledge and broke into a sprint. Although he had slowed quite a bit over the last few years, Link could still outrun most of the boulders. Unfortunately, a rather large one fell right atop his position, forcing Link to dive out of the way. He barely missed as another hit his shield, sending shock through his spine.

Sucking up the pain, Link got up and sprinted again, this time paying more attention to both the shadows and the boulders in the sky.

As soon as he reached the wall that required climbing to reach the top, the rocks ceased their rain. This always relieved Link, he'd take a brake wherever and whenever he could spare it. But to Link, this time, things seemed unnaturally calm. Making his way to the top, Link noticed that the Skulltulas that usually patrolled the area were nowhere to be seen.

As soon as he climbed over the pinnacle of the wall, Biggoron stood up to observe the young Hylian, "Oh…hey therrrrrre. We haven't had any visitorsssss up herrrre innnnn a while."

"Hey there, Biggoron. Do you know where I can find Darunia?"

"Oh, Link issssss that you? I'd love to say that it'ssssss great to see you, but the volcanic dusssssst keeps getting in my eyesssss. I've got these eye dropsssss, but I haven't received my last refill yet. If you could-"

"I'd be happy to, but I need to know where Darunia is first."

"Oh, ssssssorry…he's inside the volcano. He should be able to explainnnnnnn what'ssssss going on."

Link thanked him and entered the volcano, only to come across an unwelcome sight. Littering the floors of the volcano were Gorons wrapped in blankets shivering and making each other drinks.

Link asked around for directions, and eventually found Darunia standing in front of the entrance to the Fire Temple.

As soon as he turned around, Darunia grabbed Link and hugged him tightly.

"Ah! We meet again, brother! You certainly have grown in the last four years!"

"Grip…crushing…my…ribcage," Link said with a desperate breath. Darunia released him and bellowed a heavy laugh while Link struggled to his feet.

"My apologies brother! By the by, what brings you up here?" bellowed Darunia. Darunia, leader of the Gorons, certainly was a gruff sounding fellow, but Link knew that he had a heart of gold. He was large, not uncommon for a Goron. What was uncommon was that he was the leader, a headstrong warrior. His arms bulged with hardworking muscles and a tattoo that he seemed rather fond of: a black diamond with three triangles pointing upwards directly above it.

Link brushed off his clothes and replied, "Well, Darunia, it seems that Ganondorf has returned." Darunia's face instantly became grim.

Link continued, "But the worst part is that he's not the one pulling the strings, he's only a pawn in the game of an even greater force. And in order to stop him-"

"You need the Spiritual Stone of fire, correct?"

Link nodded. Darunia sighed, "Unfortunately, those bloody Dodongos have been breeding behind our backs and burrowing deeper into the cavern near the foot of the mountain. A few of them had the blasted nerve to climb up the trail and enter Goron city, and one of the bloody things swallowed the Goron Ruby!"

Link slumped his shoulders and groaned, "Oh, and by the way, why is Goron City closed off?"

"A few weeks ago, the temperature here atop Death Mountain began to dramatically decline. Goron city has become so unbearably cold that we all had to come up here, but even the volcano has been losing its strength lately. Nothing more than lukewarm rocks and great deals of ash have been spewing from the top. We're having trouble surviving down here, even the lava is beginning to harden in some areas, and using it to heat up water is difficult," Darunia shook his head.

Link looked to his left and saw that the warp point that the Bolero of Fire would normally transport him to had crumbled to pieces. "What happened here?"

Darunia shrugged, "It had been crumbled to pieces when we arrived. That bloody Dodongo loving Ganondorf must have done this. How dare he show the gods this kind of disrespect? Why, if I ever get my hands on him, I'll crush his neck!"

Link sensing his anger, tried to calm him down, "Darunia, relax. I'll take care of the Dodongo problem and recover to Goron's Ruby, but I need to keep that."

"By all means, brother, go ahead! I thank you! And take this too!" He said, patting Link on the shoulder and unintentionally shoving him into the dirt. Link stood up and violently shook his head to get rid of the pain as Darunia handed him a worn hatchet.

"What's this?" Link questioned.

"It once belong to my father, he used it along with the Megaton Hammer to fend off Volvagia the dragon before I was born. It might come in handy." Link took the hatchet and examined it. It was cracked in some places and the metal on the blade was worn out, but Link accepted it full heartedly, put in his pack, and then headed for Dodongo's cavern.

As soon as he reached the entrance to the volcano, Biggoron stood up and spoke, "Hey, Link. I just rememberrrrred. I made sssssomething really neat, but I can't finnnnnd it. If only I had my eye dropsssssss…"

"Don't worry about it, I'll go get them for you."

"Really? Thankssssss Link, I owe you onnnnne!" Biggoron said happily.

Link shivered from the growing cold and made his way to the edge of the rock and climbed down. As soon as he reached the base of the wall, Link recalled that he had Farore's wind inside his pack.

A few years ago, Link had only been able to create warp points with the sacred object. He had had time to practice with it, so now he could use it to warp short distances, almost like bursts of speed. Careful not to land anywhere he would be greeted with a rock to the head, Link made his way across the canyon and reached the flag checkpoint atop the mountain. There, he saw a Hylian deliveryman, scratching his head in confusion. Link jumped down and made his way over to him.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked.

The postman stared at him in awe, "Did you just climb all the way down from the top? That's so cool!"

Link scratched his head, "I've been running around Hyrule my entire life, you get used to it."

"Hey, man, could you do me a favor? I usually deliver supplies and packages to Goron city, but the door is shut tight and they say that everybody is at the top of the volcano. If you could-"

"Deliver some things for you? Sure."

"R-Really? Thanks man, you're a real lifesaver! I mean it, a lifesaver!" The postman dropped his bag and handed the packages to Link, who stuck them into his pack and watched the postman sprint back down the trail.

As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Link saw a large shadow over his position. Readying his blade, Link spun around to see an old friend swoop in and land upon the top of the flagpole.

"It's certainly been a while, hasn't it?" spoke the wise owl and former sage reincarnated, also known as Kaepora Gaebora.

"Yep," Link replied.

"I'm sure that you're aware of the current danger the world is under, am I correct?" Kaepora hooted, craning his neck and turning his head, as he was prone to do.

Link nodded in response.

"It seems that Ganondorf has come into the possession of Majora's mask, as I'm certain the Deku tree has already told you. But it seems that Ganondorf has been granted the ability to summon things from other areas of the world, and from some dimensions of which even I am not aware. These warriors possess unique abilities and will stop at nothing to complete their goals, so watch your back." Link nodded again.

"You're a smart kid, you'll be fine. I also happened to notice that you selflessly aided that man. If you want a ride up to the peak of Death Mountain, grab onto my talons and hang on," Kaepora said before flapping his wings and hovering over Link. Link jumped up, grabbed the owl's talons and watched as the ground sank below his feet.

Only seconds later did they arrive at their destination. Kaepora turned to Link, "When you want to go back down, just come and talk to me…Oh, yes. That girl, Saria, I believe, told me that you might need these," he said, dropping the Megaton Hammer and golden gauntlets from his grip. Link nodded once more, retrieved the weapon and gloves and approached Biggoron.

The Goron standing guard at the entrance to the volcano had apparently not noticed Link the first time. Link had not noticed him either, which came as no surprise because a sleeping Goron looked exactly like a rock.

The Goron stood up and took the mail that Link handed to him and headed back inside. At this moment, Biggoron rose from his seat.

"Hey, Biggoron. I've got your eye drops."

"Thankssssssss!" Biggoron instantly took them from Link's hand and put them into his eyes, the sounds of water resonating throughout the area.

"Wow, thesssssssse neverrrrrr cease to amaze me! So, Link, how'd you like a shield I just recennnnntly made?"

Link shrugged, "I don't know, let me see it." Biggoron reached over his work area and reached for something that to him took delicate precision to hold without dropping, and gently placed it at Link's feet. Unlike the Hylian shield, this one shined a ruby and silver color. Carved into the face were designs of a flaming boulder with a Triforce in the center and surrounding this primary carving were those of bomb flowers. The tip of the shield had been sharpened to a fine point, it doubled as a defensive and offensive tool.

"Whoa, this is impressive," Link hoisted up the shield, "and heavy."

Biggoron crossed his arms and nodded, "Yep, the metal in the rockssssss we find up here is twice asssssss strong as Hyliannnnnn steel. I used almost double the amount of the Hyliannnnnnn design, so it's at leassssssst four times as strrrrrrong," Biggoron looked towards his hand and rubbed his fingers with his thumb on the same hand, demonstrating false modesty, "Won't find a betterrrrrrr shield any-" Biggoron paused as he saw the reflection from Link's mirror shield.

"Hey, Link, let me ssssssssee your otherrrrrrr shield for a moment," Biggoron said anxiously.

"What, you mean the Hylian shield? Mine's broken."

"No, no, no. That one you've got with the mirror on it." Link pulled off his shield and handed it to Biggoron, who put donned a rather large monocle and examined it carefully.

"Interessssting, this shield seemsssss to have magical powerrrrrrs. Wherrrrre did you find thissssss piece of art?"

Link spent the next few minutes explaining his previous trek across Hyrule, and how he managed to stumble across the treasure along his way through the spirit temple.

"Say, Link, how would you like to have two shieldssssss at once? I cannnnnn give you an attachment that can go on your other arm."

Link smiled, "Sure, how much do you want for it?"

"You got me the eye dropsssss, so I'll give you the shield for eighty rupeessssss and the attachment forrrr free."

Link reached into his wallet and pulled out a purple, a red and two blue rupees and handed them to Biggoron who said, "Link, how about you give me your brokennnnn Hylian shield and I'll refund ten rupeesssss? I could alwayssssss use some inspiration." Link withdrew his trusty shield and looked over it one last time. It certainly had gotten him out of a great deal of tough spots; it had plenty of sentimental value. But Link knew that it was for the best and handed it to Biggoron, who took it from his hands and dropped the two blue rupees back into Link's hand.

He also handed Link a small wristband with two metal hooks. Link strapped it over left arm and attached the Goron shield onto it. He felt a great jump in weight, but that was something that he was used to. Then Link realized that it would greatly impede his swordplay, so he unattached the shield and placed the far lighter mirror shield on his left arm and held the Goron shield on his right. Satisfied, Link put away the mirror shield, but kept Biggoron's shield attached to his right arm. It never hurt to be ready.

"Come back in a few yearssssss, I'll have somethinnnnng really neat forrrrrr you!"

Link nodded and ran back over to Kaepora Gaebora, who asked, "Are you ready to head down to the entrance of Dodongo's cavern?" Link said yes, and only a few seconds, later, walked into the cave of fire.

…

Malon leaned against a tree along the edges of the field of her backyard and looked towards the sky, watching the clouds perform their aimless ballet of unpredictability. She sighed and thought of Link.

She had known full well that the thing that had 'come up' was Link being called back into duty. He was, after all, a hero. And it made her sad that she could do nothing but sit back and wait. All Link did was selflessly fight for the sake of others without a moment's hesitation.

She decided to stop sitting and waiting and told herself that she was going to do something to help the boy that she secretly admired. If he had to risk his life to save those of others, she thought, he might as well have some help.

Carefully climbing upon Epona, she reached for her bow that had been given to her by her mother long ago. Talon had told her on numerous occasions that she had simply disappeared one night, but Malon was far too intelligent to believe that. She had known her entire life that her mother had died of a serious illness when Malon had been very young.

But she could forgive her father. She knew that his lie was only to keep herself from being hurt. He may have been a lazy bum, but he was a good father. Sometimes it's far better to tell lies to keep others from feeling pain.

"C'mon Epona, let's go!" she said, giving the horse a signal to start galloping. As soon as she rounded the first bend, she took careful aim at the first balloon target. Waiting patiently for the right moment, she held her bow steady and held the arrow in place until she saw the right opportunity. When the wind blew in the perfect direction and she had her bow aimed flawlessly, she released the bowstring and watched the arrowhead strike the wooden target dead center.

Malon quickly loaded another arrow into the bow and shot down the balloon that held the target, watching it plummet to the ground.

This time she tested her luck, pulling two arrows from her quiver and nocking one. As soon as the next target came into view, Malon released the arrow and instantly loaded and fired the other approximately five degrees downwards.

The first arrow hit the balloon, sending the target plummeting to the ground.

Only half a second later did the next arrow strike the target's bull's eye and send it flying backwards.

Malon didn't like to brag, but she had a real sniper's eye.

The rest of the targets were stationary, but they were all at least twelve yards from the track. Malon took out five arrows and fired them simultaneously. Without hesitation, she drew five more and fired.

The first five hit all of their targets dead on.

The second wave hit the same targets, shattering the first arrows into splinters of wooden shrapnel.

Shards of wood flew in all directions like the splash of a Goron falling in the water, not jumping because Gorons can't swim.

Epona slowed to a trot and let Malon dismount. As soon as Malon touched the ground, she yawned and stretched. The bright sun was falling just over the horizon. Malon felt tired, so she headed inside to get something to eat.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Malon?" asked Talon as he looked up from his desk as soon as Malon exited the bathroom.

Malon yawned and rubbed her eyes, "No, daddy. I'm just feeling a little tired, so I'm going to bed early tonight."

Talon smiled, "Good night then, dear." He turned back to his paperwork as Malon headed up the stairs and crawled into bed. She lay there for a few minutes, thinking.

After a little while, she turned out the light and rolled over into sleep. She'd get up early the next day and go out to look for Link.

…

Link entered Dodongo's cavern and allowed his gaze to wander. Everything seemed familiarly musky and warm.

The only things that weren't familiar were the ten-foot Dodongos crawling around the area.

Link withdrew his weapon and other shield and raised the other as a nearby Dodongo inhaled and spewed fire at Link. No sooner than when it hit the shield did the Dodongo scream in pain. The mirror shield had absorbed the blast, and the Goron shield had shot a beam of fire straight forwards.

Smiling, Link jumped upwards and thrust the Kokiri dagger into the creature's back. It collapsed onto the ground as Link got out of the way before it detonated. Link looked at his weapon and tried to remember how he had made it longer before. He shook it furiously and after five minutes, realized that he was going nowhere.

Muttering under his breath, he put his sword away and removed his bow and bomb bag. Using a trick he had once seen in a dream, Link lit the fuse and fired an arrow that carried the lit bomb. It struck the nearest Dodongo, launching its skull and torso in opposite directions.

Link, satisfied with his results, stepped over the steaming remains of fallen predators and headed for the platform that led to into the mouth of the stone Dodongo statue.

As soon as his foot touched the base, it shook and fell at least eighty feet downwards, sending an unbearable amount of shock up into Link's legs.

Shaking from the pain, Link sucked it up and stood up, only to fall over again.

After spending a while trying to regain his balance, Link finally was able to stand straight long enough to observe his surroundings. The first thing that he noticed was that there was no visible way back to the surface, so if Link wanted to leave, he'd need to find an alternate exit.

There were four doors around him. Two of them were locked, so Link headed for the first door.  
As soon as he stepped through the passageway, Link saw a large pool of lava with stretching across the room to another platform about fifty feet away. To his left, he saw several pots with markings along them that looked like droplets of water. Curiously, he picked one up and threw it into the magma, watching the rock harden and form a small platform. Getting across would have been easy, if time consuming, had there been more than four pots.

Link sat and thought for a few moments, trying to figure out how he could get across. After several minutes of endless brainstorming, Link sighed and cocked back his neck and noticed several markings in the ceiling that looked like hookshot targets. Knowing that he couldn't exactly swing from them, Link wondered how he was going to get across.

He had an idea, but it was risky. Link removed his iron boots and placed them on without tying the laces. Placing one foot over the other so that the force of the jerk wouldn't drag Link in to the magma, Link fired his hookshot and watched the target fall as a large stone block fell into the lava.

Acting quickly, Link removed his iron boots and jumped onto the block. He then put the iron boots back on and fired the hookshot again to bring down the next block. It was too far away for him to jump the gap, but luckily there was a post that Link could latch onto. As soon as his foot hit the stone, the platform behind him sank into the flaming rock.

He repeated his tactic several more times and finally made his way across into the next doorway. As soon as he entered, iron bars slammed behind him and blocked off his exit.

Link spun around to see a large army of Dinolfos approaching him from a small gap above the walls. Knowing that his knife didn't have nearly enough reach to hit them all, Link withdrew his slingshot and picked off as many targets as possible before they could come any closer.

Knowing that they were invulnerable to fire, Link unsheathed his sword again and prepared to battle, his life more on the line than every before.

One valorous, or foolish enemy rushed at Link, blade first. Link sidestepped, rolled around and pierced the creature's neck. It flailed for a few moments before collapsing to the ground. The others looked at one another and ran towards Link at the same time. Withdrawing four bombs and Nayru's Love at the same time, he activated the gem's magical properties and threw the bombs down at his enemies' feet.

When the smoke cleared, only a few were still standing, but one of them snuck up behind Link, its blade clanging against the supernatural barrier.

Link jerked around and thrust his blade into the reptile's skull and watched it fall to the ground in an instant.

The remaining two yelped and ran away. Knowing that they'd probably call for reinforcements, Link removed his slingshot and took them down with six shots.

As soon as they fell, Link heaved a heavy sigh and watched the iron bars blocking Link's exits rise. He headed straight through the new door.

When he entered the next chamber, bars blocked his entrance yet again. Link withdrew his weapon and raised his shields.

In front of Link was a massive cavern that was completely dark. From the blackness Link heard heavy breathing. He waited.

From the cave came an enormous Dodongo. Link sneered and withdrew his bomb bag. If he had done it before, he could do it again.

As soon as the Dodongo opened its mouth, Link threw a bomb inside and watched the Dodongo collapse in pain. With a swift lunge, Link shoved his dagger at the creature, only to have it bounce off the lizard's head.

It recovered from its suffering and whipped around its tail, knocking Link to the ground and sending his shield across the room. Link scrambled to his feet to retrieve his item when the Dodongo sank its teeth into Link's right arm.

He grimaced in pain for only a moment, then withdrew the megaton hammer and struck the creature in the head using only his left hand. It reared its head and cried out in pain again, but kept hunting Link down.

Link rubbed his wrist and placed the hammer in both of his hands. He held it up and got ready to fight when the Dodongo opened its gaping jaws and tried to engulf Link whole. He struggled to keep it from closing its jaw, but he opened his eyes and saw that his opponent was attempting to fry him.

If he let go and raised his shield, he'd be Dodongo food.

If he held open the jaw, he'd be as crispy as a fried cucco.

Link waited for a miracle.

"Achaaa!" Link craned his neck to see a large boulder barreling down from a tunnel in the ceiling and heard the Dodongo screech, leaving an irritating ring in his ears.

As soon as he opened his eyes and released the pressure from gritting his teeth, he looked up to see Darunia pounding the creature into oblivion.

It whipped back its neck and whacked Darunia with its tail, sending Darunia soaring right towards Link's position. Link dived out of the way as the Goron slammed into the wall, doing more damage to the wall than to him.

Darunia stood up and arrogantly brushed off his arm, then gave Link a hand and helped him to his feet.

"Brother, you didn't think that I was going to let you down here all alone, now did you?"

"You did the first time. Oh, wait, that was a test."

Darunia laughed and lightly patted him on the shoulder, "Let's take care of this abomination!"

Darunia curled up into a boulder and charged forward as Link held up his megaton hammer, but felt a strange warmth inside his tunic. Slowly, Link reached inside his pocket and pulled out the hatchet that Darunia had given him earlier and watched it float from his hand to touch his hammer.

A bright red flash illuminated the room, and when Link opened his eyes, he saw an incredible axe floating right above his hands. He grasped it firmly, then felt its weight as it fell to the floor, along with his hands.

The axe had upon it the markings of the Gorons: boulders, black markings similar to Darunia's tattoo and bomb flowers, similar to the design of Biggoron's shield.

Its design was unlike anything Link had ever seen: from the end of the hilt jutted a two ended hammer, and parallel to the flats of the weapon were two extraordinarily sharp blades which glowed with a luminous platinum gloss. That way, Link could swing it like an axe, or simply rotate ninety degrees and use it like a hammer.

He deemed it Darunia's axe. He realized that it sounded stupid and called it the Axe of Darunia instead.

"Link, don't just stand there!"

Link snapped out of his trance long enough to see the Dodongo taking another bite at him and jumped out of the way. As soon as he landed, the weight of the weapon pulled him downwards and mixed up Link's sense of direction as it clanged to the floor. He tried to lift the weapon, but it hardly budged. Link's face turned from normal to red as the Ruby of Fire to as blue as the water in Zora's river. He finally let go and collapsed, gasping for air.

Darunia still furiously hammered away at the creature's back where it couldn't reach him, but he didn't seem to be doing enough damage.

Link reached into his pack and pulled out his golden gauntlets, slipped them on and lifted the axe. Even with his strength exponentially higher, it took some muscle to keep it off the ground.

Charging forward with weapon raised, Link leaped into the air and swung his axe overhead. It hit the ground with a loud thud and the Dodongo ceased its movements as its head rolled away. Its corpse began to flash.

"Darunia, get down!" Darunia leapt from the beast's back and rolled away in just enough time to avoid the usual kamikaze effort.

Link hoisted the axe over his shoulder with a grunt as Darunia stood up and looked over the weapon in awe.

"Link, what happened?" Link held the axe in his hands and handed it to Darunia, who hefted it up with quite a bit of effort.

"Boy, this sure is heavy!" he said while giving it back to Link, "Those gauntlets of yours make you quite strong, you know."

Darunia pointed to his right, "You take that way, it'll lead you back to the first chamber, the other locked door should lead to the boss chamber, I'm going ahead." Darunia frowned and nodded, then headed out.

Link looked around and saw that the Dodongo's head had not been caught in the explosion. He looked at it carefully and noticed that it did not look natural, it was mechanical.

In the back where the neck had been was a handle with a trigger, as well as a large hold. Link picked it up and squeezed out of curiosity. The jaw flew open and emitted a burst of flame. Link smiled, and then examined the hole, which was barely wide enough to stick in a bomb. Intrigued by this, Link removed a bomb and pushed it through the hole and heard a small click. Link pulled the trigger again and watched his bomb fly across the room and hit the wall, leaving a large black scorch mark where it had contacted the wall.

Link placed the axe along his back and held his new tool in his hand, then went through the door that Darunia had told him to explore.

His next challenge was unclear; all Link saw was walls that rose far above his head. He could find no other way around, so he began checking the walls to see which were fragile by striking them with his sword. One sounded particularly hollow, so Link dropped a bomb, lit it and stepped backwards.

When the smoked cleared, the barricade remained. Frustrated, Link withdrew his axe and slashed at it, but it did little, if any damage at all. Link spun the axe sideways and hit the obstacle with his hammer, but that did nothing. Link looked upwards and saw two cables dangling from the ceiling. Link removed his boomerang and threw it, but it simply bounced off.

Link raised his new treasure and pulled the trigger; the cables melted away and the slab that blocked his way fell through the floor.

Link peered around the corner to see baby Dodongos patrolling the area. He looked straight ahead and took another passage.

At the end was a switch. Link struck it and watched the light inside illuminate and heard a door open somewhere.

As soon as he went around the other end, he heard the sound of a ticking timer. Knowing that he'd probably have to backtrack sooner or later, Link attacked the Dodongo while it had its back turned. He regretted having to kill young, but they would kill him given the chance.

Around the corner was another barricade. Link held up the mechanical Dodongo head, burned down the cables and watched the slab descend through the thin crevice.

Link saw three passages and a beamos in the center. It spotted him and fired a laser from its single eye, which fazed the corner only centimeters from Link's arm. Before he jumped out, Link loaded a bomb into his weapon, jumped out and fired, rolling behind a wall to avoid the resulting explosion.

Seeing no reason not to, Link turned and trekked down his current hallway. He came to a chest that presented him a small key. Tucking it in his pocket, Link turned and made his way down the south corridor.

This lead to a door that barred itself shut as soon as it closed behind him. Three lizalfos dropped from the ceiling and cried a shrill battle call as they raised their shields and charged. Link withdrew his axe, reared back and swung with all of his might, cutting each of his enemies in half. They hit the floor dead.

A chest appeared at the other end of the room and the door behind him unlocked itself. Link opened it to find the dungeon map.

He glanced over it briefly to see how he was going to leave the previous room. Apparently it was a maze, and Link saw that his exit was through the western hall.

Tucking it into his pack, Link left the room back into the maze and took the only remaining chamber. Two more obstructions blocked his path, so he raised his tool again and burned down the suspending wires.

Link did a little game of pick-a-fairy (similar to eenie-meenie-minee-moe) and chose the way to his left. He found another switch. He struck it just to see what it might do. He heard no door opening, or anything else, so he simply spun around to take the other passage.

As soon as Link rounded the bend, he skidded to a halt to keep himself from falling into the abyss. On the other end was a barred door.

Link backtracked to the first switch, but came across the area where he had destroyed the beamos only minutes before. It had been replaced, so Link withdrew his cannon, loaded another bomb and fired. The beamos merely blinked and shot a laser at Link, which burned off a flap of his boot. Link sprang back, waited for his target to turn its focus, then fired again. He heard what sounded like metal clanging against metal, and saw the beamos fire again.

Link fell backwards as he desperately avoided death by laser beam. He craned back his neck to make sure that his head was still attached and saw an awkward rock formation in the ceiling. Link loaded in another bomb and fired. He watched the rocks tumble to the ground, heard an all too familiar explosion, and looked to see a chest appear where the beamos had once stood.

Making his way over the rubble, Link reached in and pulled out a compass.

Checking his map again, he saw no chests in any of the rooms that he had already been too, so he backtracked to the first switch, struck it and hurried back to the seemingly bottomless chasm.

Link withdrew his Lens of Truth, but saw no platform. He looked up to see another strange rock formation, so he loaded a bomb into his mechanical weapon and fired.

The rocks tumbled into the pit, but a large pillar shot down and hit the floor below, shaking the ground. Link leapt across and opened the door before the timer was up.

In the next chamber, Link looked at his dungeon map and saw that the door at the end of his current room lead back to the first area. As soon as he ran forwards, fire jutted from the floor and blocked Link's path. He ran to the side, but fire kept opposing his progress. Link went the other way and finally found an opening.

He decided to slow down and keep himself from getting burned. Link continued forwards and came across another barrier, so he kept running sideways to find a way around it, but there was no opening. He looked around for a hookshot target, with and without the Lens of Truth, but found none.

Link sighed and turned around, tripping over a switch. He got up and stood on it, then felt the room rotate clockwise from the door he had entered.

Link jumped on the floor, which slanted to a wall to keep himself from falling, then jumped to the new floor and kept moving. He found an opening, but the next area had two switches. Link jumped on one, heard a click, but saw nothing move. He ran over to the other switch and stood on it. The room rotated half a full circle, causing Link to fall down and land on his head.

He stood up and rubbed his skull, then saw a chest right in front of him. He opened it to find a second small key, stood and tried to find another way around. Link found no area where fire did not flare up from the ground, but he did spot another switch that he could hit from a distance, so he removed his slingshot and activated it. The room turned another half rotation, but Link braced himself by landing on his toes and his hands, not unlike a cat.

Link ran over the switch that had clicked before and stepped on it. This time, the click was much deeper and resonating, so Link ran back and pushed down the other switch.

This time, the room moved 270 degrees clockwise, giving Link plenty of time to gain his footing.

As he hit the floor, flames did not impede his progress, so Link headed straight. Where he currently stood, however, was unlike the other areas. The floor curved upwards into the wall, and the wall curved upwards into the ceiling like a spiral. As soon as he reached the other wall, as sign jutted from the floor. It read: those who wish to leave this cursed place must learn to trust the earth below them.

Knowing similar riddles from past adventures, Link ran straight ahead and ran right up the wall, onto the ceiling, back onto the other wall to the end of the room. Link saw the doorway, unlocked it and dived through it, quite sick of being in stuck in a room with indefinite positions.

As soon as he returned to the first chamber, Link saw Darunia exit from the other door that had been unlocked. He noticed Link and waved him over, holding the boss key in his hand.

"Don't worry brother, I've taken care of everything behind me, we just need to find a way to get through that door with the smaller lock."

Link took the small from his pouched, balanced it on one finger, threw it into the air, caught it and smirked.

"Brother! Always reliable thinking!" The two made their way to the door, opened it and stepped inside. There was an elongated chasm that stretched between the two and the door to the boss' room.

The first thing that Link notices was a raised stone drawbridge. He looked to his right to see a dial that could lower it. Link pushed it and watched the drawbridge lower itself, but the wheel got stuck before the bridge was low enough to reach. Darunia slapped the wheel with his palm, then Link pushed, but it still didn't budge.

Darunia pulled back his fist and punched the handle. It shattered and the bridge remained stationary. Link smacked himself in the forehead and glared at Darunia, who shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan. I need you to launch me across after I curl up," Darunia said, not the slightest bit of doubt in his voice.

"How?" Link asked, puzzled.

"Take out your hammer, you can hit me across with it."

"Are you sure? I might hurt you," Link asked, concerned. Darunia looked around, picked up a dense looking rock the size of Link's skull and smashed it against his own head without flinching so much as a twitch. The rock crumbled to dust as Darunia wiped his hands together to get the debris off of his palms. Link smiled.

Darunia curled up into a ball and Link drew his hammer, held it above his head and swung like a Hylian golfer. Darunia sailed across the room and overshot the edge of the bridge. He stopped in midair and slammed into the drawbridge, causing its suspending chains to snap.

Link held his breath, then exhaled as the bridge stopped as it jammed against the edge of the platform.

Darunia stood up and beckoned Link over.

"I'm surprised that you need a key for these things," Darunia said, "You're the hero of time, you shouldn't need some fancy passport!"

"Well, I'm thinking that being the sage of fire would have its perks," Link said half mockingly.

"Ha! I guess you're right, brother!" Darunia chuckled.

The two stopped before the entrance. Darunia glanced over the door while Link began smashing open pots.

"Link, may I ask what you're doing?"

"These things usually carry fairy spirits, which bring you back from the brink of death, bombs, arrows and other supplies," Link spotted a fairy and pointed it out, "See, that's what they look like."

"Why don't you take a few just in case?"

"Can't, all of my bottles are full," Link said, pulling one full of Lon Lon milk out and gulping down half of the container, "I'll be fine."

Darunia simply shrugged as Link approached the menacingly large door.

The pair glanced at each other with serious expressions and nodded. Link jumped up, jammed the key in its slot and opened the entrance to the boss' lair.

As soon as Link entered the chamber door, it slammed behind him, locking Darunia out and Link inside.

Link felt the ground shake. He felt it jolt again. He turned around to see a massive Dodongo only feet away from where he was standing. Link withdrew his bomb bag and got ready.

The instant the Dodongo raised its head to strike, the air around Link seemed to freeze, along with the hideous beast. A bright light illuminated the room's orange glow with a brilliant white.

Link looked straight upwards and saw a terrifying symbol.

A cursed seal painted the ceiling. In the center was an inverted Triforce, both color and position. The three triangles had been painted black and the center and outline glowed white, ancient, illegible markings surrounding the character.

From the ceiling dropped a large figure. Link could not make out his features, but he had a humanoid shape, seemingly covered from head to toe in an unusual armor, which glowed in certain lines. His body resembled a map with illuminated roads.

The instant his feet touched the ground, time seemed to move again, and the Dodongo lunged straight at the person.

He revealed an impressively large hand and held the Dodongo's mouth open with only two fingers. He revealed his other arm in what could be likened to a cannon.

The warrior raised his arm and fired several shots into the Dodongo's mouth.

It exploded into a vile mess of reptile bones. The blood and body fluids had been instantly evaporated by the devastating effect of the blast.

The man walked into the pile and reached in, pulling out the Goron's Ruby.

"So, is this what you're looking for, kid?" Link nodded silently.

The man smiled, "Too damn bad." He raised his left arm and fired several explosive rounds from the barrel. Link jumped out of the way and rolled to his right to avoid fire. As soon as he looked up, another bomb was headed right for his face. Acting quickly, Link raised his shield and braced himself.

The explosion was far more powerful than Link had anticipated, the recoil slamming him against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" Link demanded as the man came up to him and grabbed the collar of his tunic.

"Listen up, punk. Name's Trigger, I'm working for Ganondorf. He promised me better wages and ultimate power, and all I have to do is take care of you," he pointed his weapon at Link's face, "Doesn't look like this job's going to be too-"

Link interrupted Trigger's foolish overconfidence with a punch to the face. All of that Lon Lon milk had strengthened Link's bones a good deal, as demonstrated by the cracking of Trigger's faceplate.

Trigger stood up, his face revealing several scars, powerful red eyes that glowed like the flames of hell and a snarl that could freeze a Re-Dead in terror.

Link gained his bearings and withdrew his weapon.

Trigger wiped his face, "You're really going to regret that, kid."

He pulled up his weapon and fired several shells towards Link's feet, who simply jumped over the blast and held his weapon straight out in order to let gravity do the work. Trigger shot another mortar at Link, who raised his shield again and let the explosion slip right past him.

Surprised, Link lowered his shield to see Trigger's enormous right hand engulf him in his grip. Trigger snarled and squeezed tighter, Link felt his ribcage snap. Trigger spun him around and threw him straight towards the wall, then fired a single missile from the barrel in the palm of his hand. Link hit the wall at at least fifty miles per hour and felt an explosion in the bottom of his stomach.

Slowly opening his eyes, Link looked to see a disturbingly large gash in his stomach, the blood flowing like a waterfall. He desperately reached into his bag for a red potion, but the pain in his chest stopped him, almost sending him into shock. Trigger came charging after him and hit him in the stomach with crushing force, the strength of the blow sending both of them through the wall and back outside.

Greeting the two as the wall crumbled was a clear view of the ground two hundred feet beneath them.

As they fell, Link couldn't move, he was in far too much pain. Even a slight twitch could kill his body's nerves. Trigger, face red from anger, followed after Link and kept up a relentless attack of punches, kicks and missiles.

Link kept thinking that he was going to die, the ground now only seconds away.

He had lived a good life.

He had saved the world once before, had plenty of friends and known love long enough.

Only a few seconds to go, and Trigger stopped his attack and initiated his jet boots, watching Link plummet to the Earth.

Link's body hit the dirt and rock with a sickening crash and his view of the world faded into darkness.

* * *

Also, I'd like to thank Sylis for the inspiration for a few events in this chapter: (The Hero of Time and the Heroine of Hyrule). My plot is going to stay as it's going; Malon's not going to be joining Link at all. Sylis, however, had no previous knowledge of this, so if Sylis is offended or angry, I apologize in full, I'm not stealing anything, and I don't plan to copy anything from Sylis' story. I just happen to think of things to add while reading other people's stories that could be useful in my own. Most of it's original, so don't call me a thief. And I can't refer to Sylis using a personal pronoun because I don't know Sylis' gender because Sylis didn't mention it in Sylis' profile.


	5. Compassion

A/N: Yo! I've just read the manga of Ocarina of Time, and I have to admit that although the storylines between the game and the comic have their differences, they are essentially the same. There are, however, several key points mentioned in the **only** in manga, so I suggest you do a google search and go read them, some of the things in following chapters may refer to comic-exclusive events. For example, you should remember from now on that Kaitengiri is the original Japanese name for Link's spin attack. Also, remember the word Oni, this is Japanese for demon and it refers to the fierce deity mask.

Also, I've decided to add some more description and **possibly** retype some chapters so that people who haven't played through Ocarina of Time fifteen times already can understand the story. (A little graphic at times, but hey, an author's gotta paint pictures in people's heads, right?)

And c'mon people! Leave reviews, give me some more inspiration!

**Disclaimer:** Didn't create the Legend of Zelda, and therefore do not own the Legend of Zelda. I mean, I'm not **that** smart.

* * *

Chapter IV: Compassion

Link opened his eyes to see a bright glow of the purest of white. He stood up and saw nothing supporting his weight, only the sky and sea far, far below him.

Flabbergasted, Link jumped up and stomped upon the solid yet invisible barrier that kept him from plunging what seemed an infinite distance into the liquid below.

A jolt of electricity shot through Link's nerves. He looked frantically around his person. Feeling for anything that might tell him the unimaginable, Link breathed a heavy sigh of relief after finding neither a halo above his head nor wings upon his back.

"It seems that the hero has arrived." Link turned his head to see a magnificently beautiful woman walking towards him; she looked no older than twenty. She gleamed in the distance, almost like a mirage of an oasis after foolishly braving the harshest deserts for days.

Her long blue hair shined with a luster as pure as the sky itself. The dress she wore was only a slightly lighter shade, but no less stunning, and along her arms she wore golden bangles which fell only a bit below her shoulders, and from them flowed a thin blue fabric that matched the colors of her clothes. Around her neck she wore a golden necklace and around her forehead, a headdress of the same color. And her eyes were as gorgeous as the pure oceans of Termina.

Her hair fell just below her hips, whose shapes were suggested by the golden rings she wore around her waist.

In her hands she held and played a beautiful harp of five strings in the shape of a broken circlet, two ends that were held together by a bronze triangle. Half ruby magenta and half sapphire indigo. She played it gently, soothing Link's mind as she slowly approached him, it brought his mind into a full sense of nostalgia. As soon as she was close enough, she ceased her playing and gently opened her eyes, those whose beauty matched that of the world itself.

"Young Hero of Time," She spoke softly. Link recognized the voice, but could not pinpoint as to where he had heard it before.

"My name is Nayru. You've heard countless times of my deeds and such, although I must admit that they are simply stories. I was once a mortal, very much like yourself, who was told on several occasions of my destiny as the creator of a new world."

Link swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

Nayru held her harp up and smiled warmly, "Link, do you know what this is?" Link shook his head.

"This is known as the Harp of Ages. It is what governs the flow of time itself. If time is to flow normally, the one who plays the harp must play with their very soul, their passion and heart. The gods spent many a millennia searching for the one willing to partake in the task. They came upon me, and after my day of passing, I was reincarnated into the one who would watch over time itself. It is my child."

Link listened silently.

"But when balances of light and darkness in the world below are disturbed, so also is the flow of time. This is why time passes differently for everyone, and why it changes depending on the balances within each person's heart."

"Link, in order to fortify balance into the equilibrium, you must learn to control the raging battles within your own body, mind and heart. Whenever you feel lost, confused or fatigued from inner battles, simply play this melody, and I will be there to help you."

Nayru cradled her harp in her arm and stroked the strings to a gentle, calming melody. Link listened carefully, and then recited it perfectly upon his ocarina.

"My, you have an accurate ear! It took many several years of practice to master such an intricate melody; even I required several attempts before I could play it effectively. You truly are a talented individual, young hero," Nayru spoke gently, continuing to smile.

Link blushed and looked away. Nayru placed her fingers over her mouth and giggled softly, the sound of her minute laughter touching Link's heart and giving him a strong warmth. It sounded like that of a child, a very wise youth who had seen far beyond what even the most hardened warriors, wisest of sages and brightest of creators could imagine.

"Do you not recognize that song, young hero? It is a strong yet delicate melody which heals powerful wounds, gives order to the river of time and calm's one's soul. This melody is known as the Serenity's Waltz. From its magical notes have been created similar pieces of music, such as the Song of Time, Song of Healing, even Zelda's Lullaby, which you must know by heart by now."

Link nodded, rubbed his neck and laughed slightly.

"Umm, can I ask you something?" Nayru nodded.

"I was speaking with Darunia, the one who's supposed to become the sage of fire three years from now. I mentioned it as a joke, but he seemed to comprehend it completely, even though he shouldn't have a clue until later on in the future. It was the same situation with Saria too, now that I think about it," Link ceased his voice, realizing that he had just made himself look like an idiot, and expected the goddess whose presence he was under to stare at him as if he had fallen on his head a few too many times.

Nayru simply waved her hand, as if to say that it was all right and smiled again, this time with closed eyes and teeth slightly visible. Her beauty almost made Link faint. "Do not fret, young hero. Darunia and the other sages all were connected to this place on the day they were gifted with life. Throughout their time they are granted messages in the forms of dreams and prophecies, not unlike princess Zelda. Some, however, may realize their duties before others. Darunia, as dull as he may seem to you, actually understood his role first. His instinct seems to be a little ahead than the other sages' reasoning. And as for Saria, well, they say that children are sometimes the smartest."

Link hesitated, "Umm…Nayru, I have one more question…am I…dead?"

Nayru's smile did not fade in the least, "Do not fret, young one. You have not deceased, but within your world, your body is currently at rest. I cannot keep you much longer, you should return. But before you leave, I have one more thing for you. This is a powerful spell which you shall find useful."

"Those who are dear to you often find themselves in peril, and you cannot be in two places at once, nor can I give you this power. But I shall grant you something that can help. Please give me your hand."

Link did as he was told. Nayru gently removed his gloved and glanced over the Triforce mark on the back of Link's hand. She clasped it within her soft grip and held it to her breast.

Link felt as if he were being held by feathers, Nayru's hands were incredibly, almost impossibly gentle. But she was, after all, a goddess. The air around them seemed to swirl in one fluid motion as the mark on Link's hand began to glow a bright gold and as blue from the atmosphere swirled into it. As soon as the gusts calmed themselves, the triangle had gained a smaller, blue triangle in the center.

"Link, I have given you my understanding and empathy. You now have the ability to protect those close to your heart from those who wish to do them harm. This spell is known as Compassion, it is a powerful ability that protects things and that grows stronger the more the user feels."

Just as she closed her lips, the floor under Link's feet gave way and Link began to sink back to the world below.

"Goodbye, Link. May your future be full of wonder, wisdom and love," Nayru said, waving gently and smiling brightly.

Link smiled back and looked downwards. He was still in the air, but the light grew brighter and brighter around him until he could no longer see. His awareness vanished without warning, and Link was gone.

"So, what do you think of him?"

Nayru placed her hand in her palm and smiled again, "He's quite a handsome young man; I must admit that I'm a bit envious of the Hylian girls." She laughed softly, then snapped her fingers and a small stone stool appeared beneath her. She delicately sat upon it, leaned back slightly, closed her eyes and played her harp as the clouds moved back to clear the sky.

But her smile was short lived as she sat back and thought, _I sincerely regret lying, but he's not ready to learn the truth…not yet…_

…

Trigger landed next to Link's crumpled remains and sneered, "Stupid punk, you didn't stand a chance." As soon as he approached Link's lifeless body, his smile faded as a small pink glow emerged from Link's pack. It circled around him once and disappeared from view as Link once again took a strong breath and gripped his hand into a fist. He realized what had happened, and made a mental note to thank Darunia for slipping a fairy into his bottle later.

He looked at Trigger, cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Shall we dance?"

Trigger, outraged at this sarcasm, charged forward blindly. Link simply jumped over the raging machine and kicked the back of his head. Trigger frantically spun around and grabbed for Link with his enormous mechanical hand. Link simply held up the Axe of Darunia and watched the foolish warrior slice off one of his own metal fingers.

Trigger fired a bomb from the barrel in his hand, but Link simply smacked it away with the flat of his weapon and watched it explode in Trigger's face.

He wiped the soot from his face and sat down for a moment to calm his anger. Even for one so brutal, all warriors must know that in order to succeed, one must contain emotions.

Trigger looked up to see Link in exactly the same predicament. Link simply breathed in deeply and calmed himself. Trigger looked into his eyes and gulped, never had Link been so serious. Not when facing Ganon, not when facing Majora, not even Hebi herself, who had opened in him such rage that Link may have even killed himself from the blind fury.

But now his calm had been combined with a determination to stop his rival. Link suddenly averted his gaze and carefully looked over his surroundings. The two had fallen into a narrow canyon with walls virtually parallel to the canyon, the walls were entirely barren, but grass and flowers sprouted from the soil beneath their feet. There was not much room to maneuver, but Link knew that he could use his experience over the force of gravity to his advantage. Trigger was not a very mobile fighter.

Without warning, Link ran at Trigger with his weapon across his chest, ready to strike and unwilling to let anything block his way.

Trigger stood up and fired eight rounds from his weapon. Link simply raised his shield and watched the shells explode off of it. The smoke and dust from the blast simply flew past Link's eyes, as if there were some kind of force protecting him.

Trigger attempted the same trick again, and to his surprise, connected a punch from his humongous fist with Link's stomach. Link flinched and flew backwards into a wall. But this time he was ready; Link withdrew his hookshot and goron shield. He jammed the point of the shield into the ground to slow his flight, and then fired the hookshot.

It latched itself onto an opening in Trigger's armor, pulled Link across the arena and gave him the opportunity to jam the axe into the center of Trigger's gigantic weapon. As soon as he did, he pulled his mechanical Dodongo head from his pocket and shot another bomb into Trigger's face. A second round from the weapon cracked Trigger's armor.

Trigger stumbled back, dazed and fumed.

"That's it!" Trigger knocked Link off, stepped back and slammed his feet into the ground, planting himself and bracing for an attack that would obviously have a high amount of recoil. From his shoulders opened two extremely large cases that contained at least fifty guns and cannons.

Link gasped and braced himself by grabbing the stone of Nayru's love and raising both of his shields. He shook the magical gem violently and waited for its properties to ensue, but the familiar blue wall did not appear.

Trigger smirked and yelled, "This is it, punk!" From his weapons fired dozens of hundreds of bombs that littered the arena floor, no longer was the grass nor were the flowers visible underneath the instruments of death, the entire battlefield now a mass array of black orbs filled to the brim with death powder.

Link waited and still the barrier from his magic did not rise.

"Say goodbye!" Trigger yelled as he snapped his fingers. Link gripped his shield as tightly as he could.

…

Far west of Death Mountain, farewells were made between a young Kokiri and a battle-hardened Gerudo, the dark blond haired young boy named Mido being introduced to the ritual known as a handshake by the tall, tan, long haired redhead named Nabooru as a great quake moved through the Earth. Women were thrown off horses, things fell from shelves and an entire chamber collapsed in the distance.

"What in the name of Kokiri was that?" Mido asked, rubbing his head. Nabooru shrugged as she got on her feet and dusted off her pants.

…

Trigger sneered, then watched in irritation as a faint blue glowed from the smoke. Link raised his head and smiled.

Furious, Trigger held out his large hand and Link watched the barrel within it act like a vacuum, sucking up the shards of metal and remaining specks of gunpowder from the ground, revealing nothing but blackened soil and rocks.

Within his palm, the metal remains clumped together and formed and compacted themselves into a dense explosive. Stepping forward a few times to gain some momentum, Trigger threw the enormous weapon over his head directly at Link.

Link dropped his shields and magical crystal, picked up his axe and ran right for it. _Stupid kid doesn't have a clue what he's doing,_ Trigger thought.

As soon as it came close, Link pulled up the axe, turned it to it's flat and swung with the force of the mighty Kaitengiri. It collided with the missile and sent it flying straight back towards its launcher.

Trigger jumped out of the way to avoid the projectile. It crashed into the wall behind him, causing the rock to collapse and start an avalanche. Link and Trigger both ran for their lives as the boulders tumbled along the field, almost crushing the two.

Once the dust settled, Link withdrew his weapon again and prepared himself, but was surprised to see one of the rocks stand up and make its way over to his opponent.

Trigger screamed in rage and prepared to fire his weapon. His call was interrupted by a sickening crack as Darunia held an overshadowed glare and dropped his massive fist onto Trigger's head. He fell to the ground, dead from the neck up as his helmet rolled away in two separate pieces.

Link cringed.

Darunia hit his chest conceitedly and spoke, "No outsiders are going to do anything to my kin if **I** have anything to say about it. Link walked towards the corpse and turned Trigger's body over so that he could see his face. His eyes were already closed, but Link saw a disturbingly large scar along Trigger's head where his hair should have been.

"Hey, Darunia, does this look weird to you?" Darunia crouched over and glanced upon the mark, then shrugged.

"Doesn't look like he's anything more than a battle hardened warrior to me."

"Look closer," Link said grimly. He pointed to small area where the stitches had ripped apart, revealing a large metal plate where there should have been bone.

Darunia stumble backwards, "What kind of madness is this? Are we fighting mechanical warriors? That's impossible!"

Reluctantly, Link held open the gap, withdrew his sword and jammed it into the metal. The plate cracked and slit open just enough to reveal a pulsating organ.

Link looked at it for a few moments, turned his head and threw up his lunch.

When Link turned back, Trigger's eyes were open.

Before he could react, Link was given a nasty punch to the chin.

"Link!" Darunia yelled. He ran at Trigger, who turned around to take a swing at the mighty Goron. Darunia hastily curled up into a ball to reduce the pain of the impact as Trigger's hand sent him flying towards the opposite wall.

"Darunia!" Link yelled. He ran towards him, but Trigger's swings slowed him down too much. Link saw an opening in his attacks and made a dive for his comrade when Trigger scored a hit on Link's flank, the explosion sending him crashing to the ground.

"Now it's over!" Trigger screamed as he planted his feet in the ground again and prepared to attack. Link couldn't get over to Darunia quickly enough to help him. Even with a hide as strong as a rock, Trigger's next attack would blow Darunia to smithereens.

_Nayru, what do I do?_ Link screamed in his head.

He felt a small shake in his pocket, as time itself seemed to slow around. Link reached into his pouch and pulled out the stone of Nayru's love and saw the goddess's image within the center of the crystal. Instantly he was overcome with a great sense of calm as he heard the echo of Nayru's harp.

**_Young hero, do you require some assistance?_**

_Yeah, how do I-?_ Link paused for a moment, thinking that it would be stupid to try and speak to someone by shouting things in one's mind.

**_How do you what?_**

_Wait, you heard that?_

_**Gods and Goddesses alike are granted with abilities that many mortals do not know of, I do have the ability to read your thoughts.**_

_Then how do I activate your spell of compassion?_

_**Simply think of the one in danger, and wish that person the greatest safety. The rest will occur on its own.**_

_Okay, thank you, Great Goddess._

_**Please, Nayru is fine.**_

_Then, will you call me Link from now on rather than Hero?_

_**Of course, Link.**_

Nayru smiled through the crystal, and then her image faded away. Link grasped the crystal tightly in his grip and focused his emotions upon Darunia, who sat in a corner, bracing for death.

Trigger snapped his fingers and again the entire crevice went up in smoke.

As it cleared, the area around Darunia remained as it was. Trigger shook his fists and cursed. Link took this rage as an opportunity to attack. He stood and withdrew his weapon, but could move no farther because of the barrier surrounding him.

Link got an idea. He dropped his weapons, pointed out his middle and index fingers and traced a shape in the barrier large enough for him to escape. He then divided it into smaller sections that were far more versatile and threw them at his opponent. While Link did this, he removed a small red stone from his pocket and tossed it in with his mass of projectiles.

Trigger's endless stream of swears was suddenly interrupted as what looked like a plate of glass smacked against his face. At least a hundred more followed. He raised his guard to block the incoming projectiles as Darunia hoisted his makeshift weapon from the spell and smashed it over Trigger's head.

Shards of glass stuck from his skull. Truly enraged, Trigger unleashed his own version of the spin attack, launching Link and Darunia in opposite directions.

Trigger rose his hand again and gathered the shrapnel into a humongous bomb yet again, "It all ends here, you little punk." Link barely stood, but he looked up and squinted at the bomb.

As soon as he pulled back his arm to throw the explosive, it detonated in Trigger's hand, blowing his arm into a mess of metal, blood and bone.

Trigger screamed in pain as blood ran from the shoulder where his right arm once existed.

Link walked over to Trigger and grabbed the collar of his armor, "Tell, me, what's Ganondorf planning?" Trigger spit in his face and raised his other artificial arm in an attempt to kill Link off. The pain from his injury caused to him to fall. Link walked over, took out the axe of Darunia, and with all of his strength, swung the axe over his head and smashed the weapon that was Trigger's other arm.

Trigger screamed in rage, not agony.

"I'm going to kill you!" Trigger spat, but Link fell silent.

"Why?" Link asked coldly.

Trigger fell silent as well, now confused rather than angry.

"Why do you want to kill me?"

"Because it's my duty as a warrior," he said, almost mockingly.

"No, the goal of a warrior is train one's body and mind so that they become perfectly intertwined. The purpose of a warrior is to learn to battle with both for a just cause. The duty of a warrior is to use those skills to protect the lives of innocents who are threatened by those who abuse their skills. Why do you abuse yours?" Link demanded.

"It's not abuse, you can only become strong if you learn to kill," Trigger sneered, "And it doesn't matter who it is, because the warrior is only strong when they fight for themselves."

Link raised his fist and almost hit him. Trigger flinched, then slowly opened his eyes to see Link's knuckles mere inches from his face.

Link began to cry, "You just don't get it, do you? Warriors are warriors because they fight to protect. Even if it means killing those dear to them who threaten the lives of others. Even when they have been tainted by darkness, you know that the only way to save everyone, including the ones you love is to defeat them."

"…"

**"Don't you understand?"** Link yelled.

Trigger slapped Link's hand away, breaking his grip and aiming his damaged weapon. Link did nothing.

"Link, move!" Darunia yelled.

Trigger hesitated.

"Well? Why don't you shoot me?"

"_Because he has no courage."_

Trigger lowered his weapon and looked around. The three exchanged glances, and none of them seemed to know where the voice had come from. A great darkness fell over the sky and completely drenched their surroundings in blackness.

_"Foolish man, you dare betray me and listen to the filth that comes from this boy's mouth?"_ A wave of shock passed through Link's mind.

"Ganondorf!"

_"Heh, seems that even kids these days know and fear my name. It's good to be evil."_ Although he could not see him, Link heard Ganondorf laugh deeply.

"Who said anything about fear, you big nosed freak?"

_"Lash that bitter tongue of yours all that you wish, your time will come. And as for you, Trigger."_

Trigger gulped.

_"You dare defy my power? I shall banish you to the deepest pockets of space! Death will seem like redemption when I'm through with you! I do not tolerate failure!"_

"No, Ganondorf, what are you-?" Those were Trigger's last audible words as his body was turned inside out and compacted so tensely that he was no longer visible.

Link was completely skeptical, but he could have sworn that he heard an almost inaudible voice that said, "Help me…" Link bit back nausea.

"Ganondorf, stop!"

_"And just what are you going to do about it you little punk? You can't save him, his time of defiance has passed!"_

And with that, the dark aura lifted from the area and the 12 o'clock sun shined light down into the canyon. _Has it really been that long already? I entered the cavern when the sun was setting last evening,_ Link wondered as he looked towards the sky.

The young hero walked over towards the pile of shrapnel that Trigger's final effort at vanquish had failed, reached into the smoldering heap and pulled out the crystal known as Din's fire. Being able to trigger such a powerful object simply with his mind made Link realize just how much he had grown through his travels, and how strong he would become in the future.

He searched through it some more and found the thing he had come for in the first place. Carefully, he lifted the familiar red gem known as the Goron's Ruby from the dirt, wiped it off and slipped it into his pocket. He turned around to see a truly nostalgic object. Link bent over and picked up gem of glass in the shape of a heart. Just to make himself feel better, he held it up over his head in awe.

"Link, what are you doing?" Darunia asked, scratching his head.

Link dropped his hands and laughed, "Just a little reminiscing."

Link fell to the grass and sighed. Was he really going to be able to stand up to such power again? How powerful would Ganondorf be with the power of the newly reincarnated power of Majora's mask? Who was that woman who had attacked Gerudo fortress? And just who was lying behind the curtains and pulling the strings?

Darunia walked over and lent Link a hand, pulling him to his feet, "Good job brother! I can't say that that man deserved his fate, but we certainly do make a fine team, don't we?"

Link nodded and laughed, then asked, "Do you know how we're going to get out of here?"

Darunia pointed upwards and Link saw the large brown owl known as Kaepora Gaebora swoop down and perch upon a branch jutting from the rock.

"Whenever you're ready Link," Kaepora said, closing his eyes and unexpectedly yawning.

"Oh right, Darunia, this is for you from the King of Zoras," Link said as he pulled the crumpled letter from his pocket, "Oops…"

"Not to worry, I can still read this thing fine!" Darunia opened the letter and read over it. He paused, then roared with laughter.

"Ah, that King Zora, such a joker!"

_Zoras can joke? I thought that they were all too pompous not to take **anything** seriously,_ Link pondered.

"But perhaps I shouldn't be laughing. While he was humorous in all intent, the message was clearly grim. It seems that temperatures over near Lake Hylia and Zora's domain have gone haywire as well. I don't know why they are, but I'm going to look into this further, even though I'm almost certain who's behind it…"

Link nodded.

Darunia clasped his hand and shook it.

"Until we meet again, brother!" Darunia curled up into a ball, rolled in place to gain some speed. Link saw spikes sprout from his hide, a trait that he had been able to pull off in the land of Termina under the assistance of the Goron mask of the great warrior Darmani. Within moments, he was gone.

"All right, lets head on back, Link." Link turned to face Kaepora and nodded, reached onto his talons and watched him take flight.

…

Deep within a cavern far underneath the depths of Lake Hylia, a dark figure lay back upon a small cushion upon the cave floors.

A wisp of smoke blew from the corner of the room, and from this smoke appeared Kyou Gekido.

He was not his usual height, this time he towered above his master, far bigger and stronger looking than anybody could imagine.

He knelt down upon one knee and spoke, "My liege, Hebi failed in her attempt to defeat the boy known as Link, even though I'm certain that-"

"She lied and told me that she had succeeded in her battle? You underestimate me again Kyou. How many times do I need to remind you that I can see right through those petty lies of yours and hers?" said the figure, refusing to look Kyou in the eye.

"My apologies-"

"Don't give me that garbage," the figure interrupted. "I know very well of the knife you have concealed in your back left pocket. Try it and I'll bring upon you such suffering that being stabbed to death by your own mother would feel like reprieve."

"But I-"

The figure stood up and clenched his fist, "Stop, give me false words again and I'll use your body as a battering ram. Now go take care of him, and get rid of that fool Ganondorf as well. Surely you should be able to take care of such a worthless opponent with little trouble, I know you to be competent enough for such a simple task."

"Very well, Kage." And with that, he was gone.

Kage sighed and lay down upon his bed. He pulled one of his weapons from its sheath and spun it around above his head. Being physically sick had only negative effects on a warrior, the worst of it being the fact that he could not train.

Hebi poked her head through the door, "Kage? Do you want some company?"

Make that the second worst.

Hebi opened the door and walked in with a tray of soup.

"Here, eat, you'll need your strength if you want to get back into gear," she said in a soothing, concerned voice.

"Get that away from me Hebi," Kage said coldly.

"But-"

"Your persistent flattery is both irritating and almost horribly embarrassing. If I could feel pity, I would certainly feel it for you a great deal."

"I'm only concerned about your health!" she said, flustered.

"That was my mother's job. And to say that she failed would be a horrible understatement."

"What's the matter with you?" she asked, horrified.

"What's the matter with **me**? I'm the one who sits here with a mind that never ceases to calculate. I haven't slept in years, and lying here fills me with unbearable boredom and rage. I have no reason to be happy. And this sickness is driving me far past the point of insanity," his voice barely rose a pitch.

"You wouldn't be so sick if you just ate once in a while to keep yourself in shape, you're in so much pain. Why are you so hard on yourself?" she asked while reaching for one of Kage's wounds with a bandage.

Kage slapped her hand away, "Because if I'm not, then I won't be as strong as I need to be."

"And why do you need to be so strong, mister iron man?" Hebi asked sarcastically.

"If I wasn't strong, I wouldn't have much of a purpose. Like I've said before, the world would be an infinitely better place were I not to exist. That, in and of itself, is the exact reason why I have no plan on leaving anytime soon. Do you have even the slightest idea how many people in the world want me dead? Although the 'feeling' certainly is mutual." Kage coughed up a bit of blood on his hand, then shook it off.

"What are you saying?" Hebi asked, somewhat shaken from the sight.

"I'm saying that if they want me dead, in all likelihood, I want them dead, too."

"Well, then, what about the ones who don't want you dead?"

"Those people are fools," he responded callously.

"So you're saying that I'm a fool?"

"If you don't wish to kill me, then I'm saying exactly that."

"Then I guess I'm just a foolishly in love!" Hebi exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes, "Why do you have to say such harsh things?"

"It's necessary to see the truth in order to understand things, and the truth is rarely something that people can handle."

"…"

"And the truth of this matter is that you're bothering me; leave me alone so that I can think."

Hebi wiped away her tears and shouted, "Fine!"

She ran from the room crying.

"Wow, for such a tough acting woman, she certainly is sensitive."

"We all wear masks, Kyou. Now get out of my chamber, and throw away whatever cloaking object you're using."

Kyou laughed under his breath and quickly left.

_Here I am, babysitting a woman who doesn't understand the truth and the mind of a brat within a full-grown body. Don't I have the best of luck?_

_**You may have more luck than you know.**_

_What do you want now?_

_**I'm saying that-**_

_Don't bore me with your worthless lectures, I have things within my mind that require time. Now shoo._

Kage waited for a response. When it did not come, he sighed and stared towards the ceiling, allowing the thoughts in his head to become the epitome of his excitement. After all, there wasn't much else for him to do.

…

Link wandered down the path of Death Mountain in a state of exhaustion. Battling to the death certainly does it take it out of people.

As Link stumbled down the road, the guard at the gate turned his head to notice him, "Hey, it's mister hero! Hey…you don't look so well, do you need some rest?"

Link put on his best smile, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need to…uh…go…"

Link fainted, falling face first into the dirt.

"Hey, somebody give me a hand!" the guard called out as he hoisted Link over his shoulder with the help of another guard and carried him down to a local house where he could take the opportunity to rest, whether he liked it or not.

…

Link stirred from his sleep and rose from his bed. He looked around to observe his surroundings and recognized it as the safe house of Kakariko village.

He felt a sharp pain in his stomach, then remembered that it was the wound in his stomach that had nearly killed him not too long ago.

"Oh, you're awake!" said the woman who stood over the stove preparing a thick stew.

"Don't move so much, you'll just make your injuries worse!" Link was rather shocked to see a young woman with red hair rush over to him and help him lie back down.

"Miss Anju, it's alright."

She withdrew her hands and asked worriedly, "Are you sure?"

Link nodded and zoned back out, then snapped to attention, "Wait, you are miss Anju, right?"

"Yes, why?" she asked curiously.

_Strange, she and her counterpart in Termina both have the same name._

"Don't worry, it's nothing!" Link said, laughing and rubbing his head.

Anju looked at him one more time concernedly and left through the front door.

"Poor dear."

Link looked up to the woman at the stove, "What's the matter, ma'am?"

"Ah, you wish to know the story, child? Well, first I should introduce myself. I am Anju's mother. Her brother, my son disappeared a few weeks ago. I haven't seen her rest easy in weeks. We're all a little on edge. My husband, the head carpenter, Mutoh, is snapping at everyone because of it." She said sadly.

Link looked down guiltily, "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have asked."

The woman smiled, "No, no! It's fine! I guess I just needed to get it out. I'm sorry for boring you, such a depressing story…we don't need to think of such sad things!"

"Ma'am, if you'd like, I can look for him. I am, after all, a traveler."

"My, you'd do that for us? Aren't you an angel!"

"Really, ma'am, it's not a problem. But could you tell me his name so that I know where to look around?"

"That's the hard part of it. When he was born, he was never very social. He was always hiding in dark places away from the other children. When they came over and teased him, he would sometimes act like an animal, biting and attacking them. People became so angry with him that they refused to remember his name. Even my husband will no longer speak it. Every time I mention it, it brings him to rage. In fact, one day he left us a letter that said 'Mother, I'm leaving this place for good, I can't stand it here. I've changed my name, so don't bother asking around. Nobody would remember me anyway. Don't tell father or Anju though, Dad will get what he deserves. And I hate to hurt Anju, but this must be done.' He didn't even leave a goodbye…" she turned her head, telling herself that she would not cry.

"Don't worry, I remember what he looks like, he always use to sit under the tree in the center of the village, right?"

"Thankfully somebody else remembers him!"

"I'll be sure to look out for him through my travels."

"I can't thank you enough, but hopefully I can help you back to strength." She walked over to Link and gave him a large bowl of stew. Link's eyes grew wide as he licked his lips with anticipation.

Only moments later did he stick out his hand, "More, please!"

"Certainly! A growing boy like you needs his nourishment! And by how strong you are, I'm guessing that your mother must take very good care of you."

Link stopped eating halfway through and sadly heaved his shoulders. The normal glow in his eyes had once again faded away to reveal the dull reflection of his emotions. Never had Link once met his parents, he only knew them from the stories.

…

Only fourteen lifetimes ago had the young Hylian woman fled deep into the confines of Kokiri forest. She had to keep running, for both their sakes, that of herself, and that of her son's.

Desperation ran through her mind as she made several turns through the forests of astray. She looked around frantically, ran and appeared where she had stood moments before. She looked to her left and sprinted down the path, only to come to a chamber that looked exactly the same as before. She stood in place, looking around anxiously, then fell to her knees and cried.

There was simply nothing that she could do. Her husband had been murdered only hours before. He had been a truly fine warrior. Clothed in the armor of a brilliant jade, he had fought valorously against the forces of evil from the moment he had gripped a weapon in his hand to the second it escaped his grasp.

He had fought to protect the life of his family, and for his duty of the country. And as the foul demons struck away at his body, mind and soul, he had fought valiantly, and died nothing less than a hero.

The woman closed her eyes and sobbed, not for herself, but for her child, thinking that he would never grow to be a strong, heroic man.

The air around her seemed to thicken and she felt drowsy. The dust fell heavily around the mother and child, and she dozed off.

When she awoke only a short while later, she looked up to see a great tree towering over her head. She slowly turned around to see that the tree had a face.

She was neither shocked nor frightened. In desperation, one tends to do drastic things. And this was no exception.

"Oh, please, Great Spirit. Watch over my baby, I fear that I can no longer care for him," she pleaded, sitting upon her knees with her hands clasped together.

The powerful tree looked down upon the sleeping boy and watched a small golden light glow from his left hand. It shined only for instant, then faded away.

"Do not worry, young Hylian mother. I shall care for this child well. You have my word," he said, his branches reaching for the child and placing him within his leaves.

The woman smiled and wanted to say thank you, but her eyes grew far to heavy to stay awake. And with that, her awareness ceased, and her breath slowly drifted away.

A young Kokiri girl with hair as green as the grass itself wandered in only moments before the woman's passing to see her body meld with the earth. Within moments, where her body had laid only moments before, a flower now sprouted from the dirt.

"Saria, my child. The ritual, if you will."

The young girl nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating deeply. When she opened them again, behind the flower stood a round stone with an eye carved into the center. It seemed to pierce one's mind, as if it searched for the truth. Perhaps, it could not be found within what those known as the Hylian's called life.

…

"Are you all right dear?"

Link looked up and smiled again, "Don't worry, everything's fine!" Link swallowed down the last of his stew and got up out of bed.

"Are you sure you should be moving? Your injuries haven't healed-" Anju's mother looked down upon Link's skin to see that the cuts and scrapes had virtually disappeared. To say that she was amazed was nothing near descriptive enough.

"Thanks for the soup!" Link bounded out the door and towards the exit, making his way to Hyrule field. Along his way, he passed the tree that stands out by the center of the yard. He noticed young miss Anju leaning against its trunk and looking out towards the setting sun.

"What's bothering you, miss Anju?" she looked at Link and smiled.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Your injuries still need to heal."

"I'll be fine, but you seemed troubled."

"It's just too hard to talk about," she sighed and looked back towards the edge of the world.

Link frowned. He had once learned of the duties of bringing happiness to those who feel sorrow. As in his search for his long lost fairy partner, Link had stumbled through some sort of dimensional rift and ended up within the land of Termina. It was spectacularly similar in form to Hyrule, there were even people who looked exactly the same between the two continents, but there were both old and new faces.

Termina had been threatened by a lonely child known as the Skull kid. His heart, dreams and bonds had been crushed when he came upon a purple mask that contained a grave power. Eager to gain what had been lost, or at least something valuable in its place, he had stolen the mask from a strange figure and had thought that he had been given ultimate control over power that knew no limitations.

Given only three days to prevent utter destruction at the hands of this lonely boy, Link had been granted with the ability to manipulate time to a small degree, giving him several opportunities to complete the tasks he had been assigned. His purpose was to prevent the moon from falling on the town, exactly on the day of an annual carnival.

Along the way he had come into contact with a small group of children who referred to themselves as the Bombers. These boys had given Link a notebook, saying that it was the bomber's duty to bring happiness to those around them. And that the happier everybody else is, the happier you shall become.

Link went through great lengths of stress and peril to bring joy to those troubled. He had received a reward, though reluctantly, for each task, usually along the lines of a mask, ranging in eccentricity from weird to completely bizarre.

One such mask was known as the marriage mask. It had been granted to Link as a symbol of witness of the reuniting of the couple known as Anju and Kafei of Termina.

One night, one-month prior of the pair's wedding day, Kafei had been cursed by the skull kid, a grown man forced to live within the body of a child. Ashamed of himself, Kafei had donned an unusual mask and gone into hiding, unable to present himself to his fiancé.

Link had managed to catch him at a crucial moment. Kafei had told himself that he would meet his love, if for the last time before the moon obliterated the town, with an exchanging ritual of masks known as the Sun mask and the Moon mask. The two joined together exchange their masks on the day of the annual carnival, following the faith in the belief that the ritual brings good luck.

The mask that Link had been given was known as the Marriage mask. Over its white exterior, it had been graced with perfected strokes of silvery vanilla. It was a powerfully soothing mask, one with the power to calm one's soul. And its duty was just that.

Link knew that bringing happiness to the Anju that he knew now would certainly be a different, if not more difficult task than he had performed in Termina. But it brought Link sadness to see others' misery, and he wished them to find happiness within their lives.

Thinking of this reminded him of his outburst towards Mido. He'd certainly said some things that he shouldn't have, probably some that he didn't even mean.

Seeing such a beautiful, heartfelt woman in such depression made Link feel sad.

"Miss Anju, could you sit down for a moment? There's a song that I would like you to hear."

Anju looked at Link and smiled, "No, that's fine. You don't have to go through any trouble for my sake."

"Really, I think that it would be better for the both of us."

Anju looked into Link's eyes, allowing them to pierce her mind, as if to tell her that everything was going to be fine. She smiled, sat and leaned against the base of the tree.

Link withdrew his ocarina and pressed his lips to the instrument. He took a deep breath of the fresh air and blew softly into his instrument of winds. Gently, he pressed down to play exactly the right notes of the intricate melody.

As he played through the second form of the song, a magnificent sound came from within Link's pocket. Extracting Nayru's gem, he looked deep into the stone to see the image of Nayru leaning back upon her stool and gently playing her soothing artistry of sound.

Not far off, Anju's father, the head carpenter stood, yelling at his workers.

"**Don't give me that crap: 'Oh, sir. Look at my poor, blistered hands. My smooth skin is gone.' BAH! I may as well fire the lot of-"**

The notes of the music rode upon the wind that carried the melody to the ears of the tired old man. He stopped and stood for a moment. In a truly extraordinary gesture, the big, mean boss of the carpenters sat down against the wall and closed his eyes. The carpenters looked at each other, then glanced back to their employer.

"You know what, forget it. Go get something to eat, build up your strength, we'll get back to work tomorrow," Mutoh said, sounding very relaxed.

The hero and goddess played their instruments together, sending out a wave of calm over the entire town. The cuccos within their field instantly fell asleep, several lights from the houses went out as people came outside to observe the melodious child. Even the local windmill seemed to slow itself.

When Link was finished, he was rewarded with a very subtle, but nonetheless grateful applause by the townsfolk. Link looked into his crystal, and was happy to see Nayru smile and wave before her image vanished.

Link looked at Anju, whose tears were now flowing freely, but she held a smile upon her face, regardless.

"You know, it's been almost half a year before my brother left. I haven't seen him since." Link stood and listened attentively.

"But listening to that song, it gives me the hope that I'll see him again someday."

Link smiled. Anju stood up and asked him, "Link, where did you learn that song? It sounds so familiar, as if it were my heart given a voice. I feel so much better now."

Link knew that he was going to receive gratitude. He did not know that he was going to receive it such an extent as Anju tightly embraced him and spoke, "Please, find my brother."

Link hesitated, then pulled himself from her grip and grasped her shoulders, "I'll be on the lookout."

Anju wiped her eyes, "Thank you."

And with that, Link made his way to Hyrule field, waving as the entire village waved him their luck, hope and pride.

…

As soon as Link made his way down the steps that led to Kakariko village, he felt a great need to contact an old friend of his.

_"Link, can you hear me?"_

"Hey, Saria. It's been a while."

_"How's your quest going?"_

"Fine at the moment, but I need to ask you, has Mido come by recently?"

_"No, but I did talk to him through his flute. He told me that he had a message for you."_

"Message?" Link asked, puzzled.

_"Yep. He said something about Navi. He hasn't found her, but he did manage to track down the group that kidnapped her. He said that he'd go on ahead to look for her, but that some woman named Nabooru was going to stay in Gerudo valley and wait to tell you some important information."_

"Thanks, Saria. Think you could do me a favor? If you happen to talk to Mido again, tell him that I'm heading over. That doofus isn't going in there alone if have anything do say about it!"

_"Okay."_ Although he couldn't see her, Link was certain that Saria was smiling.

"Hey, Saria, you remember how I always told you those stories about those giant monsters that I faced and how I always got that heart shaped crystal that made me stronger?'

_"Uh-huh."_

"Now that I think about it, how come that giant skulltula didn't give me a heart container?"

_"Mido probably grabbed it, he needs it more than you, anyway."_

"Ah well. He deserved it more than I did, too."

"_Humph."_

"What's wrong?"

"_Now you're starting to **sound **like a hero too."_

Link smiled, "Talk to you later, Saria," he said as he placed the ocarina back into his pocket.

The beautifully tamed animal slapped its hoof against the grass, entertaining itself with a small dragonfly that had managed to find itself a playmate.

Link shooed the creature away, took Epona by the reigns and led her across the bridge and through Hyrule field.

He felt as if he owed a little somebody a little something.

Just as he passed through, however, a mass of stalchildren rose from the dirt and surrounded Link.

"Epona, get out of here!" He yelled, startling the horse enough to send it galloping away. Unsheathing his axe, Link charged up a powerful Kaitengiri and swung, beheading at least forty of the undead creatures. His second swing through decimated the remains.

From his rear, Link felt a sharp pain to the back of his head and fell over. He somersaulted in order to escape from the swarm and held up his weapon, only to see that the hammer and hatchet had separated themselves at the worst possible moment.

Cursing under his breath, Link unsheathed the Kokiri sword and began swinging, raising his shield where necessary. But unlike usual, the monsters just kept coming at him. Where he seemed to rid the world of one, five rose from its place.

Link had to pull out all of the stops, he withdrew Din's fire and pressed it to the ground as a wave of fire burst from the gem and exorcised all of Link's enemies.

And yet they continued to multiply still.

The battle continued for minutes until Link had exhausted his magic power. Blood and sweat ran down his body as he struggled to stand, but he was knocked over by one of the foul creatures of the undead. Link attempted to stand again, but his legs had ceased their functions.

_I guess this is it, Ganondorf. Looks like you finally won._

As one of the monsters opened its mouth and attempted to bite into Link's flesh, it flew across the plain as an arrow struck its skull.

But this was no ordinary arrow. Link recognized the glow that emanated from the point of as the pure golden light that had blessed his arrows in the fight against Ganon. Knowing that he was saved, Link tried again to get up and fight, but the stress was far too great. Within moments, Link passed out.

…

Link awoke from his temporary slumber as the faint moonlight shined through the window. Link's sleeping patterns as of late had been fluctuated, unpredictable and uncomfortable, but sleep was sleep, and even though he rarely had the opportunity, he appreciated it where he could get it, even if it meant being beaten into unconsciousness. Except for the beating part, of course.

Link sat up and rubbed his wounds. Over the cuts and scrapes there were fresh bandages, and to his left there was a table with a glass of water and some bread. Link looked around and made certain that there was no one else around that might have left it there on accident.

Link told himself that it was fine, picked up the two slices of bread and shoved them down his throat, then drank the entire glass in one gulp.

It is rumored that Hylian teenage boys have bottomless stomachs.

Link sat and looked out the window, unsatisfied. His stomach, obviously far from full, grumbled as Link felt the desire for more.

Something caught his attention, a wafting aroma of food coming from down the stairs. Hypnotized by the scent, Link made his way towards the door and down the stairs.

There lay the greatest feast that Link had ever seen. Wondering what it was doing there, Link looked around to make sure that nobody was there to ruin this moment, and dived right into the food.

He was stopped short as a hand grabbed him by the scuff of his tunic and pulled him back.

"Easy there!"

"Huh, Talon?" Right behind Link stood Talon, the owner of Lon Lon ranch. He was a big man, had a fancy mustache and was balding slightly, dressed in his usual blue overalls and red shirt. Link had remembered looking through the windows of the Hyrule castle center garden to see a portrait of a man who looked strikingly similar. But the one in the picture had been wearing a red, winged cap with an "M" in the center.

"Feeling better?" Talon asked, slapping Link's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks," he said, shaking himself out of his trance of thought.

"Don't thank me, Malon's the one who saw you out there being attacked! We had just returned from delivering a shipment to the castle and Malon drove off those stalchildren. Nasty little buggers." Talon looked out the window, "Wouldn't have been prouder with five sons."

_How in the name of Hyrule did Malon get light arrows?_

Link snapped out of his thoughts, "Do you know where Malon is? I'd like to thank her."

"I don't know where she is right now, but she's probably outside with the guests."

"Guests?" Link raised an eyebrow.

"That's right, we're hosting a family reunion, what didja think that all of this food was for?" Talon put his hands over his large stomach and laughed.

"Makes sense to me," Link said, disappointed.

Talon left through the door to search for his daughter, and Link felt the urge to wash his hands and face, so he found the bathroom and knocked on the door. He heard no answer, so he opened the door and walked right in.

Malon pulled her head from the water and stepped out of the tub in the exact same instant.

Within the bathroom, the tub was lined with dimly lit candles and incense, just the thing to make somebody relax.

That was the last thing that Link noticed.

The two's eyes met, the pure shock causing them to freeze.

Malon screamed, turned away, grabbed a towel from the rack and wrapped herself in it as tightly as possible.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Link ran out as fast as he could, slamming the door behind him and breathing so heavily one would think he was having a heart attack.

Link's face turned as red as the glow from a fire arrow and rushed out the door, panting.

Never had he seen a naked woman before, especially not one who he had had a crush on for almost half a decade.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ He told himself, hitting himself in the face continuously. Thinking that Malon would probably never forgive him, he ran back upstairs to get his belongings and leave as soon as possible.

Talon ran in only moments after him and burst through the bathroom door.

"Malon! What's wrong?" he questioned frantically.

Malon, fully dressed this time, heard the upstairs door slam, then rubbed the back of her head and laughed, "Nothing, daddy! I just…fell asleep in the tub and had a bad dream. That's all!"

Talon sighed, "Thank goodness…"

He closed the door and left, and Malon stormed up the stairs into the room where Link had been sleeping.

**"What's the big idea?"** she screamed, startling Link enough to make someone jump out of a window.

"It was an accident, I swear!" he said, waving his hands in front of him and shaking his head.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Malon shouted.

"I did! But nobody answered, so I figured that it was fine."

Malon was flustered, knowing that she couldn't have heard him knock since she had dipped her head in the water. Refusing to yield to losing an argument, her face turned red and she yelled, "Well, maybe you should have knocked again and waited!"

"Okay! I'm sorry! Can't we just drop it?" Link said desperately.

Malon crossed her arms, frowned and tapped her foot, "No, we can't just drop it. Do you plan to invade my privacy every time you come over here?"

"Malon, listen to me! It was an accident; I'm sorry, okay? Please?"

"Fine, Link." She said, still frowning.

Link took her hand and met her gaze, "I'm sorry."

Malon was lost. To her, Link's eyes were like blue crystals that showed her something so mesmerizing that she couldn't break away.

She smiled, "Okay." Then wrapped her arms around Link's chest, "But only because you're so handsome."

If a blush was warm enough to actually burn something, Link's face could have melted rock.

"Now come on!" she said enthusiastically, taking Link's hand and pulling him towards the stairs, "My whole family's here, it's time to celebrate!" Link followed her, with little choice in the matter. But he wouldn't have resisted anyway.

Out near the center of the field, tables had been erected, lamps hung from posts and candles gave the entire place a warm glow.

Malon pulled a little harder and sped up, making Link do the same. She introduced Link to her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Link, although tired, made himself as decent and polite as possible, shaking hands when necessary and playing with the younger children.

When the clock struck seven, Talon announced dinner and all thirty people sat down among their own places. Link, however, offered to give the hosts a hand by bringing out the dishes. Link actually spent most of his time resisting the urge to just take the food and run, but actually found himself relaxed when Malon caught up to him with a large roasted cucco in her hands. While they worked together, they talked and laughed about Link's recent adventures.

When all of the food was set upon the table, the silverware had been distributed and everyone had found their places, they said their blessings to the goddesses and ate as much as possible. Link found difficulty in eating his food; Malon's younger cousins kept taking his shoes and food when he wasn't looking.

As for her older cousins, well, the males kept pestering him about what it was like to travel as a warrior. The girls seemed to swoon around him like maidens to knights in shining armor. Malon, noticing this, smacked Link in the back of the head.

He shook his head, _women certainly are competitive,_ he thought.

After the food, someone suggested that Malon sing for everyone. She asked Link to play for her in the background, so pulled out his ocarina and played the song of Epona as Malon's soothing voice filled the ranch with delight.

As soon as she finished, she was rewarded with applause from everyone, and asked Link to dance. Link, completely embarrassed, tried to run away.

"C'mon Link, dance with me!" she said, tugging at his arm.

"I can't dance, Malon. You know that!" He said, pulling away.

"Please?" she begged, looking at him with such an adorable face that Link couldn't bring himself to refuse.

He smiled and said quietly, "Alright."

Upon entering the dance floor, some of the older relatives pulled out their own instruments. Malon's uncle pulled out a cello, her aunt withdrew a violin, her grandmother sat in front of a large piano that Ingo and Talon pulled from behind the stable.

"Hey there, Link. Come here a moment." Link looked at Malon, who nodded, then walked over to Malon's grandfather. His short, faded red hair was obviously not as powerful as it had been before, but Link could instantly tell that he was Malon's mother's father.

"Have you ever seen something like this?" he asked, pulling a red ocarina from his back pocket. Along the backside were carvings of musical notes and flowers. Link had never seen a finer ocarina, other than his own.

Link showed the man the ocarina of time, who stared at in awe, "Yes, yes, a fine ocarina. And you, young lad, play it quite well."

He looked back to the red ocarina he held in his tired hands, "This ocarina used to belong to my son, the brother of Malon's mother. He has long since passed, but the two always used to play together, my son would play gracefully upon this ocarina and my daughter would sing with her heart."

He smiled gently, "Watching you two youngsters and having this ocarina are the only things that remind me of them, and never have I seen my granddaughter so happy."

Link nodded. "Please, Link. Make my granddaughter happy, as this old man's request," he pleaded, grasping Link's hand.

Link smiled solemnly, "You can count on me sir."

The old man smiled once more, than pressed the ocarina to lips and played a soothing melody that Link's ears had never been graced to before. It sounded faintly Irish, the wonderful sound amplified with the addition of the rest of the family made for one of the greatest gifts to Link's ears.

Malon came over and took Link's hand, and together, with the music, they danced with each other for hours.

Finally, at midnight, the family knew that it was time for bed.

"Wait, Hyrule castle's been blocked off. How are they going to get home?" Link asked Malon, confused beyond belief.

"It's a tradition we have. During our reunions, everybody brings a sleeping bag and we rest underneath the stars," she said happily.

"…"

"Don't worry, silly! I've got an extra sleeping bag for you!" she laughed, pointing to a long green bag stretched out across the grass.

After the lamps had been doused and the younger children had been put to bed. Link lay back along the sack, then watched Malon crawl into her own wearing a faded pink nightgown. Link thought it went perfectly with her flaming red hair.

Link wanted to say something to her; anything was better than just the awkward silence.

"Malon, I…"

She turned over, smiled and lightly kissed him on the cheek, "Good night."

She turned back over and drifted off to sleep.

Link glanced at her one more time, then put his arms behind his head, looked towards the stars and smiled.

_I could get used to this…_

* * *

There you go: a little something for everyone: Wisdom, action, emotion, survival, insight and romance all rolled into one, brutally bitter to incredibly heartwarming (I hope). It may be a little confusing at first, but reading the manga of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask will explain a bit. Or, playing Majora's mask may clarify things. (Unfortunately, the game can only be bought used, on the N64 for how much I don't know, or you can buy the collector's edition, which has Zelda 1 and 2, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask: but it's $40.00 **used**)


	6. Exodus

A/N: My apologies for not updating in the last several weeks, I had a large amount of time stolen from me in helping my elders with a garage sale that I made $35 dollars of, $15 if I hadn't sold my bike. It's amazing that I still have pretty much the same amount of junk as when we started. Then I kind of burned out, then we went of vacation with no access to a computer…you get the idea. I came back with plenty of brainstormed ideas and now know that this is going to be one of the greatest things I've ever written (although between us, there's not much of a contest…).

Good News: things are back on track, so I should be updating at a rate of about once a week. And some chapters now have added content. It is **strongly** recommended that you go back and reread the first few pages of the previous chapter. Chapter 1/2 has had a good deal of content added, so go ahead and reread it if you so please.

Also, I would like to show my gratitude for the following people:

**Biggoron:** first reviewer, still faithful. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

**Stewey-The Insane One:** If you think it's awesome now, wait until it really starts moving. The things that occur within Hyrule are not things that even an insane person wouldn't expect (Easy to come up with, I just need to put in things that I wouldn't see coming :)

Also, there is a friend of mine who will be assisting me more than he has already: pointing out errors, mentioning ideas and such. You know who you are.

One more thing: I absolutely despise emoticons for reasons that escape me, but from now on, it looks like they might be necessary. Otherwise, it leads to some very awkward situations to those who can't read my mind ;)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the Legend of Zelda. Still can't afford the luxury of a mansion, fancy cars or butlers who are paid to do your every whim.

* * *

Chapter 5: Exodus

Link awoke the next day to a very early morning sun. As its light peered over the horizon, Link sat up and looked around. There was nobody to be seen. The sleeping bags had been rolled up and the relatives had left.

Link looked to his left to see Malon sleeping soundly right next to him. Apparently, she had moved her sleeping bag over in order to sleep a little bit closer to him, or maybe she had felt a little cold; either way was fine with Link.

Talon opened the stable door and saw Link. He walked over to the young hero and laughed.

"Nice time, huh? Sleeping under the stars is something I do best," Link smiled.

"Where is everybody?" Link asked.

"Just missed them. It's almost six, yah know, and we workin' folk move fast, no time to dally. I'm surprised you two managed to sleep through all of the noise. I figured that Malon here was tired, so I did her morning chores for her."

Link looked down at her and smiled.

Talon leaned in towards Link's face and squinted, frowning, "I'm going to be working around here and there, but make no mistake, I'm going to be keeping my eye on you."

Link gulped.

Talon stood up and laughed, "Hah! Just kidding, I trust yah!" He laughed some more, slapped Link's shoulder and went back to work.

Link lay back down and stared at the clouds aimlessly floating through the cerulean sky over his head. Never had Link felt so relaxed.

Malon turned over in her sleep and tossed her arm over Link's chest in the process. Link looked at her with pure ardor, never had he seen someone that he held so dearly.

After a few moments, she slowly opened her eyes and met Link's gaze. "Good morning," she said dreamily.

Link blushed as he turned away, got out of his sleeping bag and stretched. A few minutes later, Malon stood up in her nightgown and went inside to change and start making breakfast. Link was glad that she failed to hear his stomach growling as loudly as it did. It saved him a great deal of embarrassment.

He followed a bit far after her and sat down at the dinner table.

Several minutes later, he awoke to see Malon lightly poking his battle-hardened chest. When she saw him with his eyes open, she blushed and turned away. It seemed like every girl that Link ran into wanted a piece of him, some in more contexts than others.

Link yawned widely. Being able to sleep in was a luxury for a warrior of Link's stature. He'd take any amount of shuteye he could grab.

Glancing towards the sun, Link figured that it was almost seven-thirty; his ability to tell time based upon the position of the moon and stars another unique trait. Talon burst through the door, sweating heavily. He was followed by his assistant, mister Ingo, who happened to appear almost twice as fatigued.

Mr. Ingo was a strange one. He was quite tall and slim, his light red overalls stained with sweat and dirt that covered his favorite green shirt. His hair was short but slicked, his sideburns pointing straight forwards. His thick, bushy eyebrows and pointy mustache combined with his somewhat intense brown eyes were enough to frighten anyone, but those who knew him knew him as a good-hearted, hard-working man, complain as much as he did. Casual observers often mistook Talon and Ingo as siblings: Talon, the well-known owner of the finest producers of animal products, and Ingo, the hardworking man who lived in the shadows of the famous "milk man".

"Whew, hot out there!" Talon said loudly, flicking the sweat from his near bare head and flicking it away, some of it splattering on Link's shirt. Link looked it at disgustingly.

"Yes…" Ingo muttered under his breath, "It's rather difficult to nap in this weather, although it's generally far harder to work…" Link looked away innocently, nobody liked to be caught in Ingo's muttered griping.

Link broke the tension, "Hey there, mister Ingo, didn't see you at the party last night!"

"That's because I was too busy tending to the animals," he said coldly.

_Ouch_, Link thought. Getting on Mr. Ingo's good side was a task that seemed to mock him.

Ingo took a seat across the table while Talon took a chair near Link, his excess weight placing the chair under a great deal of stress.

The kitchen door swung open and Malon walked in carrying a plate of French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. Link's mouth began to water.

Talon's saliva ran like a waterfall.

As soon as she set the tray down upon the table and handed out the plates and silverware, Talon grabbed for about half of the servings and began stuffing himself. Malon sighed and rolled her eyes.

Link took a piece of toast and placed it upon his tongue.

Within seconds, it was near impossible to see who was eating more.

Ingo filled his plate and walked outside, Link following his movements with his gaze with three strips of bacon hanging from his mouth. Then the realization hit him.

"Wow, Malon! This food is great!"

"Um…thanks," she said, blushing and looking down into her lap.

Link looked at her and smiled. She was a tough young woman, but a little shy at time. She was beautiful and both sassy and caring, vulnerable too. Link could have sworn that he was in love, at least for as far as he understood the emotion.

He glanced away and his eyes met with Talon for a moment. Without a second's hesitation, he inhaled the rest of the food on his plate, dashed for the kitchen and began scrubbing furiously.

It would be best not to have the father breathing down your neck.

Malon came in with her plate and said, "It's okay, Link."

Link took the plate from her hand and began cleaning it off, "No, it's alright. I've got it."

Malon shrugged and took a seat in a chair near the cupboards, eyeing Link's well-toned muscle as he tensed his fingers and scrubbed harder to remove stains from the frying pan. Malon felt a fuzzy feeling within her chest that became warmer and warmer as she observed Link strain more each time. It was unfamiliar to her, but each time the sensation grew, she felt a sudden urge for an unknown pleasure. She felt her face growing hotter and hotter until…

"Malon?"

She almost jumped out of her chair, "What?"

Link laughed lightheartedly. Malon punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What did you do that for?"

"Well, I guess that takes care of a bit of your credit."

"Huh?"

"Well, you didn't think that we were going to let you mooch here for free, did you?"

"Well…yeah…I mean…" Link slouched over and sighed. So much for relaxation time.

…

As Link scrubbed the windows of the Ranch, he occasionally caught glances of Malon milking cows, feeding cuccos and brushing horses, watching Ingo pick up pieces of animal waste and move great deals of hay from the back to the bins, and every now and then listening to the gentle snore of the "hardworking ranch owner".

Link polished each window until he could see his reflection. If one has work to do, one had better do it right, he always told himself.

As soon as he finished, he placed the bucket on the ground and sighed. He turned around and was startled to see Malon standing behind him, smiling.

"Malon, what're you-?" before he could say anything else, Malon placed her fingers on his lips. Link froze in place.

Malon placed her palm on the side of his face and pushed it gently, moving his line of sight and pointing to a stack of bottles of milk, then pointing to a large cart, which sat right next to the stack.

Link sighed and rubbed his head while Malon laughed. To Link, apparently woman were excellent at revenge.

Minutes later, Link was hoisting bottles up into the compartment, extremely cautious not to drop any. He heard Talon begin to snore from up front and clicked his tongue in irritation.

He glanced around to see Ingo pushing a mule into the barn. It eventually decided that it was staying outside, and interjected to Ingo's persistence by kicking him in the face, sending him reeling backwards. Link immediately dropped his cargo and ran over to help him up.

Link crouched over his face, "Mr. Ingo! Are you alright?"

Ingo immediately stood up, his face beet red, fists clenched and steam coming out of his ears, **"You're going in that barn whether you want to or not, you stubborn little bastard!"** He charged forward and pushed as hard as he could. When the mule protested by kicking again, Ingo grabbed its hooves and pushed.

The mule had two choices: cooperate and walk in using its forelegs, or be stubborn, fall and have its face pushed into the dirt and have it dragged along the floor.

Link smiled. As much as he whined, you had to admire the man's work ethic.

Link picked up the last of the remaining bottles and placed them inside, then went up to Talon and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Whasje! Huh? Oh, we're ready. Alright, hop on back." Link scratched his head.

"Well, obviously you're coming with us when we deliver this milk to town," Malon said, walking by carrying a crate of eggs.

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm sure that every time you go there, you miss a lot of stuff, right? All you usually do there is shop for supplies."

"Well, yeah…but."

"And you wouldn't leave me there all by myself again, would you?" she said playfully and teasingly batting her eyelashes.

Link yawned and ran his tongue along the back of his teeth. It was a small habit that Link did whenever he felt pressured by young women.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Malon pushed him onto the cart and hopped on. Talon snapped the reins and the horses broke into a trot.

Malon handed him a sandwich. Link scratched his head.

"Lunch."

Link engulfed the sandwich in a single bite. He just wanted to lie down and fall asleep. Malon began telling him about all of the things that he had been missing out on.

Looking towards the sun, he thought that life couldn't get much sweeter.

He was going to learn just how true that statement was…

…

Minutes later, Link was startled out of his sleep by the shrill cry of a girl who's doll had just been taken from her by a playful little rascal.

"…And then there's the…were you listening to me Link?"

"…Huh?"

Malon shoved him half-playfully.

"Sorry, kind of dozed off. What'd I miss?"

"You'll just have to figure that out for yourself, fairy boy," she said teasingly. The nickname no longer bothered Link, but it did remind him of why he was questing in the first place.

As Link looked over the horizon of Hyrule field from upon the drawbridge, he looked to the west and saw the entrance to the desert. It did make him feel rather guilty to leave Nabooru and Mido by themselves even longer than they should have to wait, but he deserved some downtime. Risking one's life does tend to take a toll on your spirit, especially when death manages to catch up more than once.

Telling himself that he wasn't going to let himself ruin his day, Link shook the thought out of his head and walked right through the gates. Malon called out to him and told him to wait up. When she caught up, she slipped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Malon closed her eyes and hugged Link's arm even tighter as the pair walked beside the cart being pulled in through the square of Hyrule town.

People stared and allowed their jaws to make themselves comfortable on the asphalt as their eyes followed the side of the delivery cart. What bothered Link was not embarrassment of Malon, but having everyone nearby staring at you isn't exactly a comforting situation.

"Alright, I'm going up to the castle to deliver this here milk. Don't you two go causing any trouble while I'm gone!" Talon said as Malon walked by and looked at him.

"Don't worry daddy, we'll be fine! Just make sure that you don't fall asleep again!" she said, then laughed.

"I won't, I'll be back in a few hours." Talon said as Link hopped off the back of the carriage. Talon whipped the reins and the horses pulling the supplies trotted towards the abode of Royalty.

People threw glances of mixed emotions towards the couple, some were surprised, others were shocked. A fair deal of them were at a point between irritated and furious. Link kept himself from making any sudden movements as not to arouse any attention. After all, being seen with a girl that pretty much every single male under the age of twenty within a mile radius is after can be a somewhat intimidating experience if withdrawing your sword leads to conviction and whatnot.

Malon sighed, took Link's hand and started walking.

"M-Malon? Where are we-?"

"To the library, dummy! Weren't you listening to me earlier?"

"Sorry, I must have been distracted by something."

Malon smiled and shook her head, then pulled Link through an alley.

"Why are we going through here?"

"It's a shortcut, would you rather fight your way through crowds?" Link shrugged in response.

"Where do you think you're going?" The couple looked around to see a young man about Link's height walking towards them with an arrogant stride.

His hair was of a brown shade, cut short. His clothes were that of a rebel, a black t-shirt, frayed blue pants and a smirk that would intimidate some.

Looking at him filled Link with a mixture of pity, irritation and revulsion.

"Get you're hands off of my girl, you brat!" he spat bitterly.

"Malon's not a possession you rude-" Link's sentence was interrupted by a slap to the face. What surprised Link was that it was the boy who had done something so…juvenile.

"Go away, Ray. I'm not you're girlfriend, or even you're friend. You're a vile rat who doesn't know how to show respect. Just leave us alone," Malon said angrily, placing her hands on her hips.

"Gotten a little feisty, huh?" Ray continued his haughty stride and reached for her shoulder. His hand was knocked out of the way. Ray shook his hand to relieve the pain.

Link glared and pointed the end of his Deku stick to the point between Ray's eyes, "Try and touch her again and the hand comes off."

"Link, don't!"

"Why not? I'm not going to do anything serious."

"But he's got friends, as hard as that is to believe. They'll hurt you if you don't leave him alone."

"Can't have them swooning over you like people to a sale, now can I?"

"You're going to regret that!" Ray interrupted. He stood up and withdrew a thick looking stick of wood.

Link held up his Deku stick in an on guard position and waited.

Ray charged him and jumped a few inches off the ground to perform a jumping overhead slash. Link simply stepped out of the way and hit Ray's other hand, knocking the weapon from his grip.

Ray landed on his face.

Link walked over to help the fool up when he snuck a punch to Link's jaw.

Link stumbled backwards a few steps, but regained his balance long enough to see and avoid the second strike towards his stomach.

He quickly spun around while Ray was busy smirking and elbowed him in the spine.

Ray fell to the ground in pain.

Link put his stick back into his pack and looked down upon the scoundrel, "Don't feel like dealing with that attitude of yours, so we're just going to be leaving. It would be best for you to just avoid us, otherwise I might have to do something I'd regret," Link said coldly, realizing just how much of an empty threat he had made. Then again, his opponent was certainly unaware of this; otherwise he wouldn't have picked a fight with Link in the first place.

Link turned around and took Malon's hand, "Let's go. Lead the way."

"Link, look out!" Malon screamed. Link spun around to see Ray charging at him with a knife. Link struck his wrist, causing him to drop the weapon. Using his other hand, he threw another punch at Link.

In an act of pure rage, Malon pushed Ray to the wall.

"Malon, what're you-?" Ray couldn't finish his sentence before Malon slapped him across the face so hard that the resulting crack was louder than ten firecrackers set off at once.

Link squinted an eye and cringed.

Malon swiped the knife from Ray's fidgeting hands and promptly stomped on it, shattering the blade to pieces.

Ray watched in horror as his only decent method of attack was smashed in front of his very eyes.

Ray got up as quickly as he could and launched his fist directly towards Malon's face.

Before he could come within inches of her space, Link's knuckles connected with his jaw, sending him crashing to the cold pavement.

"Don't, you, dare…" Link said coldly. Ray looked up one last time, then passed out.

"Malon, are you okay?"

"Humph, what a jerk!" She grabbed Link's hand, who looked over his shoulder regrettably to see his unconscious opponent sprawled across the pavement, eyes closed, mouth half-open and tongue dangling from his jaw.

Telling himself that it was for the better, he shook the thoughts of regret from his head and kept walking.

Past several shops, stalls and amusements later, the two reached the local library of Hyrule.

Link had never been inside before; he had always come to the bustling city with an important assignment and no time to dawdle, so there were many things that he had never had the chance to experience before.

What surprised him, however, was how enormous the interior was and how few people there were present. The only people he saw were employees who sat behind the reception desks lazily gossiping with one another and playing cards. There was only one person seated, but Link could not see the face of this novel engrossed individual.

Malon loosened her grip from Link's and merrily skipped towards the section of the occult. Much to Link's surprise, the shelves toward feet above his head, there were actually several balconies utilized to contain the vast amounts of knowledge.

Link broke into a jog to catch up to Malon and saw her searching through the shelves labeled "Light Spells". She gently swayed her fingers across the books' spines, then tapped one and pulled it out. She carefully thumbed through the pages and pointed to an intricate design of incantations, materials and symbols. Link scratched his head.

"They're instructions on how to bless normal arrows into light arrows, dummy!" she said, rolling her eyes. Link shrugged. Malon smiled and lightly tapped him on the forehead.

Link looked over the titles of the tomes that contained ancient knowledge just bursting from their shelves with eagerness to loan Link their intelligence. Or so it seemed, at least until Link realized that such a thing was ridiculous. Books can't move on their own.

Picking up one that looked particularly interesting, within its pages lay things that it seemed most people were barely concerned with. The pages seemed to be in excellent condition, but the volume itself appeared anything but recently printed.

Link scrolled his fingers down the list of chapters. Stopping at **origins of magics**, Link turned to the corresponding page and began to read. It was something that he had learned throughout his travels, numerous times he was forced to resort to reading signs, maps and lists of directions and instructions. Ignorant compared to most he was, many were surprised by how resourceful the boy could be. Learning to read without assistance was truly a magnificent task.

Link's eyes focused upon the crisp print and began to transfer the words to his head.

_Nobody remaining truly remembers the origins of supernatural ability. Some sources indicate that it may have originated in those as early as second generation Hylians, at least within the Hylian continent. As opposed to the current methods, magic was originally conducted through immense prayers to the gods and sacrificial offerings of both beast and man. This led to much conflict between the many races of the land. _

_**For further reference to these battles, please refer to the following volumes.**_

Link snapped the book shut. Just because one has the ability to read, not all writings contain anything interesting.

Link allowed Malon to indulge herself while he ambled along the hallways, admiring the architecture and vibes of his current setting. Simply being present within such a place filled Link with an unusual but welcoming calm.

Finding himself a chair to relax in, Link sat by an empty table and rubbed his forehead. _Just once_, he thought. He knew that fighting for survival within the world was something he had to do, but getting into arguments with Hylians was not something he was proud of. People had the tendency to assume things based upon what they see. Beating up some punk and leaving him in the street leads to so many possible outcomes in the minds of the ignorant that the only truth that's even half accurate comes from those who were actually involved.

Link wondered why it took so long to grow a crop to perfection and only minutes to devour it.

As soon as he snapped out of his trance of thought, Link saw the man he had noticed earlier rise from his seat and trail off with several books underneath his arm.

He was instantly mesmerized by the person's form of dress. Covered forehead to toe in black with a small array of weapons, the man glanced over his shoulder towards the unsuspecting Link.

At first they were a deep brown, so close to black that peering into them was chilling enough to even the toughest of fighters. They were relaxed, tracing Link as their gazes followed each other.

**_Come with me…_**

Link shook his head, had he been hearing things? Uncertain of whether his mind was playing tricks with him, he rubbed his temples and stood up, drawing a bottle of water and taking a long swig.

After resting his head for a few moments, Link looked towards the entrance. He saw the figure in the doorway, arms crossed and face emotionless.

Link blinked. The man was gone.

Figuring that he would find Malon again later, Link dashed towards the exit and looked around, hoping to find the man before he managed to get too far.

He saw nothing.

He heard a bell of in the distance, and looked up towards the church of Hyrule.

What caught his attention was a slender black shadow standing atop the temple of time, staring off into the distance.

Almost a mile away, the man shot a glare towards Link.

**_Come here._**

Although his instinct told him that something was up, his head told him that he would be able to handle it. If a teenager can match blows with the Emperor of Evil, sparring with a stranger shouldn't be much of a problem.

Link made a sprint through the streets, keeping his eyes on the man at all times, weaving through crowds, ignoring curses and struggling to keep on his path. After several minutes of abuse from greedy shoppers, Link finally found his way to the massive entrance of the Temple of Time.

The interior of the sanctuary never ceased to amaze Link in the least. It's amazing marble walls rose so far above the base of the building that the ceiling was completely out of sight, and at the far end of the chamber stood a pedestal. It was this pedestal that served the sole purpose of keeping the door to the Sacred Realm sealed. It would open and grant power only to the one who gathered the three Spiritual Stones and played the Song of Time.

Link looked down towards the warp pedestal and was relieved to see that it was still intact. But that was the only form of reprieve that Link found within the Temple.

Standing atop the pedestal was the man who had led him here. He gently stepped down to the floor and gazed at Link.

**_FIGHT ME…_**

Link was unsure if he had heard it right the first time, "Excuse me?"

**_FIGHT ME._**

"Why? I don't have anything against-"

**_FIGHT ME!_**

Link shook his head and turned around. As soon as he did, he heard the scraping of metal on wood, the familiar tone of a sword being drawn from its sheath.

When he turned around, what he saw was not what he expected.

Underneath the figure's raised hand was a person who hung lifeless from his hands like a marionette.

What got under Link's skin was the fact that the person hanging from the man's grip was Malon.

Before Link could scream her name, the figure released her strings, withdrew his weapon and cleanly sliced off her head. It rolled to the floor, her eyes full of the dull shade of death.

The figure sheathed his weapon, crouched and raised his hands on guard.

There was no time to register the pain, Link withdrew his weapon and charged, screaming at the top of his lungs.

…

Kyou stood within a wide chamber. It lacked decent lighting and smelled of sweat, blood, water and mildew, but it was the only area large enough where the three could have enough space to train decently.

Sweat ran down his forehead as he tensed up his muscles and continued to throw punches at the bag that hung from the ceiling. With each connection with the sack, thick echoes ricocheted off the uneven walls that created an unbalanced sense within the room. But Kyou knew that acoustics shouldn't be something that distracts oneself from gaining strength.

He continued to attack the bag, watching it swing upwards and hit the rock ceiling before returning only to receive more punishment from his fists.

"Are you two still in here?" Kyou stopped and turned around to see Hebi walking in carefully.

"How can you two see? It's so incredibly dark in here!" she said, surprised.

"Kage likes to work like this. It builds his senses."

"Speaking of which, where is-?" The loud clanging of something hitting the floor disrupted Hebi's question.

Kage dropped from the ceiling and brushed off his forearms.

"Kage? Were you holding the bag up from the floor?"

"Yes, why?" he asked bluntly. Hebi walked over to the bag and hit it, then rubbed her knuckles.

"I'd be careful if I were you; that bag's made of lead and titanium." Kyou said without the least bit of arrogance in his voice.

"What? You can't be serious! Kage, how long were you holding this thing up there?"

"About three hours, give or take." Hebi heard no conceit within his statement either. She shook her head and left the room.

"You boys are crazy…"

"Insanity's not as bad as making a fool of yourself." Kyou whispered jokingly as he hoisted the bag into the air and held it steady, "Your turn."

Kage stood up and stretched, taking a very deep breath. He then crouched and charged the bag, unleashing a flurry of strikes to the surface, the rapid rhythm of his continuous punches sending a set of sounds in every direction that were stacked so close together that the untrained ear would automatically confirm it as a single continuous ring.

Within moments, He knelt to the ground and fired off a powerful straight kick that launched the bag from Kyou's grip and sent it crashing to the wall. The air around them seemed to shake as the ringing slowly died away and the shaking ceased.

"Would you mind warning me before doing that again?" Kyou asked with a hint of a bitter tone, politely to those who paid little attention.

"…"

"…Sir?" with such a lack of light, Kyou could not perceive his master's expression.

"Strengthen your grip next time Kyou. If an attack like that can launch this from your hand, you've still got work to do. And when you're on guard, you need to relax. Too much tension will tire you quickly and will slow you down. Keeping yourself loose will increase your speed."

Kyou nodded solemnly, "Yes sir."

…

Link tensed his grip and swung as hard as he could. His target had vanished. Relying on his sense of hearing, Link flipped around and swung vertically, his opponent simply jumping far above the attack.

Link's eyes followed his attacker's fall and slashed horizontally. The figure simply landed on the tip of his blade, jumped atop Link's head and used it as a stepping-stone. He flipped backwards and delivered a sharp kick to Link's face.

Link flew across the floor and felt his head collide with marble. He slowly sat up and rubbed his head. He sneezed, spraying blood over the floor and his tunic, staining the marble tile and grass green fabric crimson.

Ignoring the pain, Link withdrew his bow and nocked a single light arrow. He felt the air around him become lighter and the atmosphere grew brighter and Link held his arrow, aiming carefully.

The tip whistled through the air as it sailed directly for Link's target, who simply stood back calmly.

Faster than Link could blink, the figure sidestepped the projectile and caught it within his fore and middle fingers. He twirled it around within his grip and pointed it back to where it had been fired.

The light instantly evaporated as Link watched the darkness stretch from the man's arm and consume the holiness of the weapon, snuffing the powerful glow out like a candle. The air instantly became dense and hazily purple. Link coughed and covered his mouth.

Link's opponent spun around and threw the arrow directly at Link, who dived out of the way just quickly enough to see the arrow barely miss his ankle and pierce the wall behind him.

The resulting explosion plastered darkened energy all over the floor and sent Link skidding painfully along the floor.

Taking out his black tunic and donning it as quickly as possible, Link hoped that his opponent would not see him within the mist that peppered the arena.

His hope was shattered as the bloodthirsty fighter sprinted from nowhere and connected a powerful combination of punches to Link's face, stomach and chest. Link felt lightheaded as he jumped back into the darkness like a desperate animal, retreating from an injury. He looked around frantically, hoping to catch his opponent off guard and defeat him before he could hurt Link any further.

Link heard a clatter of metal to his left and swung around, swerving his blade and hoping to feel a decent amount of contact.

As the steel of his sword met nothing but particles of violet haze, Link felt a sharp pain and a sickening crack in his spine.

He collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

_C'mon, move!_

Link urged his muscles to function and met only excruciating pain.

The figure slowly walked over to Link and withdrew his blade, pointing it directly at Link's throat. He stood and hesitated, as if contemplating whether Link's existence was worthy of death.

He withdrew his weapon, put it back into its sheath and walked around to Link's backside. Link's wonder of what was going to happen next was answered as the figure delivered a sharp kick to Link's backside.

Link felt the return of corrections of his nerves, accompanied by a torturous jolt of pain that could not be described by words. He thrust the discomfort out of his mind, turned over and thrust his blade into thin air. His opponent was gone.

Link slowly stood up, licked his upper lip and spat a wad of bloody saliva to the floor. Realizing his mistake, he sighed, took out a handkerchief and wiped the mess from the marble. Contrary to popular belief, disrespecting the Gods brought down **unimaginable** punishment.

"Link!"

Link looked up to see Malon running towards him, concerned. Link looked back towards the floor, dazed and bit back vomit.

"What's the matter with you? First you ditch me and I find you here near death! Are you trying to scare me or something?"

Link shook his head, "Nope, just doing my job."

Malon sighed, smiled and placed her hands on her hips, "Alright, let's get you something to get rid of all of that blood."

She sighed, "Looks like will have to postpone our fun together until next time," she said, looking over his body and searching for areas where blood was still running.

"Your wounds need tending too; they look pretty-" Malon gasped as she looked down at Link's ankle.

Link glanced south to see a good chunk of flesh missing from his lower leg. It didn't surprise him or sicken him in the least, but realization of the wound gave him a surprising new meaning to the word pain.

…

As the two rode along the back of the cart, Link looked at his ankle again. He felt a great deal of pressure due to how tightly Malon had wrapped the bandage and the throbbing feeling wasn't much consolation for the discomfort, but Link was a fighter. Comfort is something warriors rarely feel.

As he observed the sun sink down through the sky, Link noted that it was around four o'clock and found himself thinking about Nabooru and Mido again. As much as he regretted having to leave the ranch, he'd have to get moving tomorrow. But for now, he figured that he might as well enjoy the relaxation, miniscule as it was.

Link sat back and wondered why he had clearly seen Malon die, and yet she still sat right next to him upon the milk wagon as it rode back from the marketplace to the sanctity of the ranch.

"Hey, Malon? Do you know anything about illusion magic?"

"Yes. Over here in Hyrule, it is known as psychic magic, a powerful force that damages the victim from within by taking advantage of feelings such as pain, fear, anger and sadness. On other continents, they're sometimes known as optical illusions, mind games or genjutsu."

Link snorted, this girl was as smart as she was pretty.

"Any counter methods?" he asked.

"I've read that you can counteract certain illusions with different feelings, such as using pain to escape fear, but higher levels of magic require combinations of counter actions or ones of far greater strength in order to cancel those effects," she said, quite knowledgeable on the subject.

Link looked puzzled.

"Why do you ask?" She asked innocently. Link said nothing, he simply stared out through the field of Hyrule, his eyes a cold, intense blue. Malon, sensing his uneasiness, took his hand and squeezed it. It made both of them feel better.

…

Zelda quickly made her way across the Royal Hall. Within the long corridor hung gorgeous banners from the walls of gold and cerulean, a long beautiful rug stretched from one end to the other, almost entirely covering the floor of marble, granite and diamond. The architect had been quite proud of his smooth handiwork.

Along the walls hung exceptionally large portraits of rulers of Hyrule's past. One such frame housed the picture of Zelda's late mother. It was normally this time of day that the young princess would lean against the wall, twirl her golden blonde hair around her fingers and allow her crystal blue eyes to admire the beauty of her home and land and ancestors.

But today was not a normal day. Lifting the hem of her gown just above her ankles and dashing for the conference room, so busy was she that the small crack within the wall slipped her attention. As the large ebony doors of the end of the hall sent an echoing boom through the hall sending word of _no disturbances_, a small insect hovered near the crack, insignificant to the casual viewer.

Within seconds, the creature ended up upon the other side, surprising considering that the actual distances were dimensions apart.

The creature hovered just over a long, blood red carpet. A sickening cracking resonated against the walls of the chamber as the insect grew in size, shifting form. Within seconds, it resembled a man, although to call it human was foolishness itself.

The creature knelt down upon a single knee and waved an arm across its chest, "My liege, I have returned."

Ganondorf opened his eyes from upon the top of his throne as the mask of Majora hovered just above his open palm, "I take it that your mission was a success?"

"Yes, his strength has been tested, just as you ordered," the being spoke.

"Very well, you may-" Ganondorf was interrupted by the crackle of smoke from the corner of his throne room. Without hesitation, he stood from his throne and knelt directly towards the diversion. The creature stood up and looked towards the smoke in question. Ganondorf glanced towards it, reached over and grabbed its neck, pulling its face close to his.

"Keep your head down, you fool!" he spat quietly.

The bitter creature lowered itself to the floor without waiting. If the King of Evil shows respect to another, one had damn well better follow suit.

"Sir, the mission was a success," Ganondorf spoke.

The person who stood within the smoke said nothing.

Ganondorf's servant spoke, "He seems far weaker than we had initially anticipated. Perhaps the power of the Triforce has left his body?"

"I do not possess such knowledge, nor do I care for it. And although this seems like the perfect time to dispose of this pest…"

Ganondorf looked up in wonder.

"…I do believe that I happen to have a much better idea…" The man shrouded in darkness snapped his fingers. From the floor arose an indistinguishable figure, but Ganondorf recognized the form and smirked. The repulsive creature took the shape of a young woman, one to whom many were quite familiar.

It slowly rose from the floor and opened its eyes, the white emptiness from within piercing Ganondorf's soul with excitement.

"Say hello, my child."

The creature responded by opening its mouth, the sound from within echoing disturbing laughter and bloodcurdling screaming.

Ganondorf shivered.

"You must take this one and prepare. You, Dark Link and her are to serve a much greater purpose than any foolish mortal could possibly imagine."

Dark Link smirked and rubbed its hands together. Somebody was certainly in for a hell of a surprise.

…

By the time the cart pulled into the ranch, the sun had already set beyond the horizon, the remaining glow of light just barely stretching over the walls of the property.

Malon hopped off as quickly as she could and immediately ran into the kitchen to begin cooking dinner. Link, knowing that she was under strain, headed through the door to see what he could do.

As soon as he opened the door, he was almost knocked backwards as Malon sprinted across the room, pans and ingredients blocking her view. Link got up and brushed himself off when a large hand pulled him back into the dining room.

"Hey there, kiddo. Malon likes cooking in privacy. She's a witch with a fryin' pan if I ever saw one," Talon said, chuckling as he headed for the bathroom door.

Link smiled. Malon was a sorceress in secret with an amazing knack for pretty much everything, and apparently she didn't want anybody other than Link to find out.

Link realized that it was as good a time as ever, so he went out through the front door and went inside the barn to have a talk with Ingo.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ingo?" Ingo jumped up from the corner.

"What the, oh, hey there. What d'ya need, kid?"

"Um, do you happen to know anything about this fairy black market that-?"

Ingo's eyes grew wide. He turned away and headed for the door.

"Wait!" It was too late, Ingo had already sprinted out into the field and the sun had set so low that finding him in the darkness would take far too long.

Knowing that the only ways he could escape were through the front gate and by jumping the fences, Link formulated a plan.

First, if he could get the keys from Talon, he could close the front and prevent Ingo from running through.

If Ingo happened to catch hold of Epona and ride off, he could simply escape by the sides. Knowing this, Link withdrew his Ocarina and played Epona's song. Within moments, he heard the familiar hoof beats of his close friend.

But he saw a silhouette come out from within the darkness, and it was not whom he had expected.

"Hey, kid. Where's that fairy partner of yours who always flies around?"

"Mr. Ingo?"

"I'm guessing that she's gone?" Suddenly it hit Link. Because Ingo had always been busy, he was one of the only people that Link knew that he hadn't told about Navi.

"Yep, I've been searching for her over the last few days."

"Well, I can't say I've seen any that I recognize. The one that I found was pink. It just happened to wander on inside the ranch. Thing was, the man who came by told me that he could feel the energy floating throughout the area and demanded that I hand over the fairy. Said he was working for Ganondorf," Ingo shivered.

"Did this man say exactly where he was going?"

"Told me that if I found anymore, that I should take them to the Gerudo desert. 'There'll be people ready to take them off of your hands, and we'll offer you a big reward.' It's a bunch of hooey; said Ganondorf would 'spare me'. What would Ganondorf need with fairies?"

Link nodded, "Thanks, Mr. Ingo. I'm going to be heading out tomorrow, are you coming in for dinner?"

"Nah, I've got more work to do, good luck kiddo." Link gave him a thumbs up and made his way out.

Ingo sighed and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, picked up his pitchfork and went back to work as a cold breeze rustled the leaves of the trees outside, blowing away several as they fell from the branches.

…

Link sat down in the same chair as before the moment Malon walked out of the kitchen with a large tray of steaks, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes under gravy.

Talon's hands quivered with excitement.

Link however, sat and sadly wondered how Malon would take it. He couldn't stand to make her upset, but he had to leave soon. The longer he waited, the harder it would be to find Navi.

Malon spoke up, "What's the matter Link, aren't you hungry?" Link flashed a fake smile, reached for a slab, cut off a piece and let it hover above his plate. Troubling news often brought troubling circumstances.

Malon smiled softly, "Well, try it."

Link raised the fork to lips and stuck the piece of heaven into his mouth. Within milliseconds, Link's troubling thoughts were gone.

Malon smiled widely. She enjoyed nothing more than watching people enjoy her cooking, and she loved it especially when one of those people happened to be Link.

Link cleared his plate, reached for another piece and ate his fill. Eating, the other privilege that was hard to come by was not something Link planned on letting slip him by.

As soon as he finished, he took his plate and Malon's and went into the kitchen to wash a few dishes. Malon followed closely behind him. As he scrubbed, Link stared out the window and sighed. He really didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to abandon his search either.

As Link placed the last of the plates in the dish rack, he sighed, turned on his heel and headed out the door.

As he stood in the center of the field and stared out towards the stars, Link wondered if there was one out there with another warrior just like him, one caught in dilemmas.

Several minutes later, Malon came outside and stood next to him, "Beautiful night isn't it?" Link nodded quietly.

Malon took his hand and squeezed it gently.

Such a small gesture seemed insignificant to some, but it made both of their worlds infinitely better.

"My mother once told me a story. One day when I was very young, I asked her if she really loved my father. She told me that my father was big, lazy and noisy, and that there was no man that she loved more."

"The next day, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and passed away within the hospital. The last words that she said to me were, 'There will always be someone there for you to watch over you when you feel troubled. Your father will always be there for you. One day, you will meet a man who loves you and who will watch over you. And if you still need help, I will be with you, no matter what happens."

"I suppose I've found a good lead onto who that man might be," she said softly, squeezing his hand a bit tighter.

Link wanted to kiss her, but could not bring himself to do it. He did not want to hurt her when she was especially vulnerable. Instead, he continued to stare off in silence.

He told himself that he would leave at three, hours before Malon awoke.

Big mistake.

…

Link's internal clocking systems jolted him awake at exactly two fifty-eight in the morning. He quietly shifted his weight to the floor and snuck downstairs, exceptionally careful not to make any loud noises.

As he reached for the doorknob, he ran over the message that he had left on the bed.

_Duty calls, by the time you wake, I'll be long gone. Don't worry too much about me, I'll be fine._

Carefully, Link shut the door behind him and walked over into the barn. He saw Mr. Ingo asleep in the haystack and carefully made his way over to one of the several cows lined up within the barn. Gently playing the song of Epona, Malon and her ancestors, the cows mooed softly and filled his bottles to the brim with milk, each receiving a brisk stroke of the fur as thanks.

Covertly, Link slipped the barn door shut and walked over to Epona who stood right outside the front gate.

Before he could mount her, he heard the door open behind him. Sighing, he turned around and saw Malon. Her face was not of confusion or worry, but rather, she smiled in the dim lighting.

"When will you be coming back?"

"Depends on how long it takes me to find Navi."

"Don't get hurt too much. I can't send bandages to you by mail if I don't know where you are."

Link smiled. Malon slowly walked over to him in her nightgown as he bare feet touched the damp grass and hugged Link tightly. Link wrapped his arms just below her shoulders and closed his eyes, admiring her calming warmth, fragrant scent and beating heart.

Link ran his fingers along her hair and felt as if he were stroking silk.

He told himself that as consoling as it was, it was time for him to leave. Gently, he released Malon from his grip, looked at her one more time, mounted his horse and left.

Malon said nothing, but a weary smile was the last thing she showed the world before going back to bed. Love would need to wait.

…

As Epona galloped towards the Gerudo desert, Link felt a strange wind blowing towards him. It brought an unusual temperature, one that warmed the flesh and chilled the soul. Link ignored the feeling and kept riding.

As soon as he reached the bridge and jumped off of his horse, Link made a mad sprint for the fortress.

"Geez Link, what were you doing, napping in Hyrule field for a week straight?"

Link sighed; Nabooru treated him like a child far too often.

Nabooru, a wind cloak in her hands, folded her arms across her chest, closed her eyes and frowned, "Well, there's no point in arguing about it now. Mido left a few days ago to the Desert Colossus. We found a lead telling us that the black market men were hiding away somewhere inside the spirit temple, but we couldn't make it across the desert because the winds were too fierce. Mido insisted that we let him pass, but we told him that it was too dangerous. He refused to give up and ran right through the gates."

Link felt a pang of regret. While he had been relaxing, Mido had gone ahead without him. Now he felt like the fool.

Link yanked the coat from her hands, rushed past her without saying a word and sprinted through the open gates to the raging sands.

Nabooru muttered something under her breath, shook her head and went inside. There was planning to be done.

…

As Link entered the desert, things were not as they usually were. Link took out his ocarina and played the Requiem of Spirit. As he had expected, nothing happened.

Swearing, Link took out his Lens of Truth, activated its magical properties and looked around for a place he could latch his hookshot to.

As soon as he spotted one, he grabbed his hookshot, aimed for his target and fired. Rather than being pulled to it, the box simply came back as the chain retracted. Link ducked and watched the box sail over his head and land in the sand, the grains of powdered stone instantly consuming the container.

Link pointed at a flag post this time and hoped that somebody had planted it in firmly. He felt his feet lift from the sand as his feet hit the ground and immediately felt himself sinking. He lunged for the flagpole and climbed up it as quickly as possible. Interesting as quicksand is, dying in it isn't exactly fun.

He looked for another target, but saw a small bridge that led across the sand. Making sure that it was actually there, Link peered through his eyeglass and stepped upon the planks.

They seemed sturdy enough, so Link dashed through.

The wind blew a rock approximately the size of Link's head right towards his face. Link dove to the floor and watched it sink into the sand.

_Geez, what's with this storm? It's worse than usual._

He jumped up and narrowly avoided a wooden box that would have broken his kneecaps if he hadn't moved quickly enough.

Link raised his two shields to both of his sides, crouched and moved slowly. He held Biggoron's shield to his right, knowing that its mass could have a much easier time counteracting the momentum behind wind propelled projectiles.

He felt a sharp clink against his shield, shrugged it off as an insignificant pebble and kept moving.

A piece of debris the size of a horse crashed into Link's shield and almost sent him plummeting into the sand just below his feet. Link tightened his grip on the edge of the wood and pulled himself up hastily.

He figured that if he could find a good balance between speed and defense, efficiency would be at its max.

As soon as Link stood and broke into a run, an iron bar flew in from the distance and shattered Link's ankle.

Link flinched and gritted his teeth, but kept moving. Every time he took a step on his right leg, he felt a painful shock shoot up all the way into his chest.

Link told himself that the pain was nothing compared to drowning in a sea of sand.

The end of the platform was only a few yards away, so Link balanced himself on his left leg and hopped the remaining distance.

The moment he reached the other end, Link withdrew a bottle of Lon Lon milk and some of Saria's special herbs. He looked towards the bottom of the pouch and saw that there was about half of the bag remaining. He'd have to remember to return to Kokiri forest and refill his stock.

He sprinkled the leaves into the drink, plugged and shook the bottle and took a long gulp.

Within seconds he felt his ankle repairing itself. The process was rather painful to feel his bones moving around within his body, but it was a small price to pay for potential shock.

Link got to his feet and saw a familiar shrine in the distance. He quickly ran over, circled the ramp to the second floor and looked through the Lens to see a spirit of the guide who had shone him the way once before.

_"Come, child. This way."_

Link, knowing that there was no time to lose, withdrew his hookshot and aimed for the creature's lamp. He was pulled up and Link took hold of the light, looked downwards and prayed that he would not fall.

The ghost simply mumbled and flew forwards. Link shielded his eyes as the sunlight poured in across the oasis that stood before the towering Desert Colossus, home of the Spirit Temple.

He looked to southwest to his right and saw the shattered remains of the warp pedestal. He'd have to figure out why those were damaged later, there was no time to waste.

His grip upon the spirit's grasp disappeared as he heard the familiar yet unwelcome mocking laughter of the Poes who ran away. Helpful as the guide was, the creatures rarely showed much decency.

As Link plummeted towards the Earth, Link extended his legs. As soon as they touched the ground, Link crouched, his legs like springs, and pushed forwards, rolling to absorb the momentum. As he stood up, he immediately ducked as a guay flew right for his head.

The nasty crow-like birds were infamous for being exceptionally irritable.

Link simply ignored them and made a mad dash for the entrance to the temple. Telling himself that he was ready, Link sprinted up the steps and into the dimly lit hall.

…

Link entered the first chamber of the Desert Colossus. What he saw, however, was something with a strangely familiar feeling, a feeling of dread.

The chamber contained six iron pillars that rose to the high ceiling and the walls were colored with sand red bricks and tile. Stretched out in front of Link was a long red carpet, which extended several yards ahead of him to a rather large statue of an armored general.

Link walked towards it. The eyeholes of the helmet were cold and empty. The chain mail looked thick and bulky as it shined off a brilliant light from outside. Within its hands rested an enormous axe, its tip sitting on the floor. Link felt a pang of sad nostalgia just by looking at it in its cold silence.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small hum coming from below his feet. Link looked down and saw a remarkably intricate symbol of white lines on a black glow. He jumped backwards and withdrew his weapon.

The man who emerged from the portal did not face Link, but looked upon the sculpture and sighed. He was a tad shorter than Link, his hair dark and messy. He stood for a few moments and sighed.

"Father…" he whispered, "Is this what you truly wanted me to be? To follow so closely in your footsteps? Was this to carry on your legacy or to pass your gift on to me? Are you ever going to give me answers?" He reached up upon on his toes and pulled the helmet from the statue, holding it within his grasp and staring deep into eyes of the stone figure that stood before him. Its eyes, a chilling grey represented a man who had fought bravely, and died valiantly.

It chilled Link to see that a man who had been turned to stone was so graceful in defeat, his eyes full of determination to remembered as a hero.

"Of course you're not going to give me any," the stranger spoke quietly, "Dead men tell no tales."

He turned to face Link and revealed his face. He had a painful looking red scar in the shape of a cross: one line running directly down the center of his face, the second perpendicular to the first, which intersected the other just above his nose.

Link tightened his grip on his sword.

"Kyou Gekido," the man stuck out his hand.

Link jumped backwards, clenched his teeth and swallowed.

Kyou's solemn gesture ended as he withdrew his hand and looked on, "Very well." He snapped his fingers, and the light that emerged from his being blinded Link instantly. He heard something heavy hit the ground both in front of him and to his rear.

When Link regained his vision, he saw no longer the short man who stood in front of him. He saw a seven-foot tall juggernaut covered from head to toe in shining platinum plated armor. Link almost felt his heart stop.

He looked behind himself and saw that his only exit was now closed.

Much to Link's surprise, the beast before him bowed deeply, "My humblest apologies, but you won't be leaving this palace alive."

He rose to full height, then crouched and snapped fingers in both of his hands this time, two incredibly large axes materializing from thin air into his palms this time. These weapons, nothing short of beautiful, were bladed four times over each, two widths of metal parallel to each other upon each end, ten feet between each pair, coming to a total of eight weapons of massive destruction.

Link smiled, carrying such heavy weapons would be intimidating to an inexperienced warrior, but ignorant Link was not. Wielding monstrosities such as those would horribly slow even the strongest fighter. If he could simply throw down a few bombs, the fight would be over before it started.

"Iron Knuckle?" Link asked.

"Iron Knuckle? What the hell is an Iron Knuckle? Oh, you must be referring to that group of bastard rogues who stole my fighting style after I slaughtered their joke of a leader." Link's smile faded. The man's calm, respectful demeanor was gone, as was Link's sense of accomplishment. Besting this man would be no easy task.

Kyou took one step forwards, shaking the ground as his foot contacted the floor. Link stumbled backwards and fell. Kyou took another slow step.

Without hesitating, Link got back up to his feet, grabbed the woven end of his bomb bag and let his entire stock scatter the floor. Only a fraction of a second later, he withdrew the crystal of Nayru's love and Gem of Din's fire. Raising the shield around his person, Link clasped Din's gem and blew gently, waving the stone through his breath. The explosives immediately ignited simultaneously, causing the room to fill with smoke and erupt violently from the shaking of things collapsing and falling to the floor.

When the smoke cleared, Link's smile faded, along with his confidence. Kyou took another step forwards, his armor spotless and his head not shaken in the least.

Formulating a second plan, Link spotted a pillar still somewhat intact and ran over to it. Withdrawing the megaton hammer, he waited for his opponent to walk up to him.

Kyou turned around in his colossal armor and walked towards Link. Link swung his weapon and struck the base of the stone, watching it collapse and fall onto his opponent. Kyou's helmet rang, but he continued to move towards Link without delay. Link then swung his weapon with all of his might. Kyou caught it within a single palm. He smacked Link across the face with the back of his gauntlet, sending Link sailing across the room, headfirst into the brick wall.

Kyou pulled the hammer's head from its pole and dropped the weighty metal piece to the floor like a discarded candy wrapper.

Link withdrew his bow and fired off a fire arrow. The flame from the tip died the instant it bounced off of his armor.

Swearing under his breath, Link withdrew an ice arrow and shot it. It froze a small portion of Kyou's arm. Kyou simply tapped his wrists together, shattering the ice like glass.

This time Link withdrew and nocked a light arrow, muttered something inaudible and released the bowstring. Kyou caught it between his fingers and snapped it in two, all the while still slowly walking towards Link.

Link figured that if fire, ice, light, explosives or brute force could piece his armor, he'd have to keep stabbing at it with his sword and hope to find an opening.

As soon as he attack, his opponent swung around behind him in the blink of an eye and hit him across the face with the flat side of his massive weapon.

Link fell to the ground, but landed on all fours and rolled out of the way just quickly enough to see the massive blade of the axe come crashing to the floor, cleaving a split large enough to completely engulf Link. As soon he stood up, Kyou performed a lightning fast lunge at Link, catching him off guard and sending him sailing into a wall.

_So much for big, bulky and slow._

Link pushed himself out of his depression in the brick and ran at his opponent, chinking at random spots looking for weak points in the armor. Kyou simply allowed him to keep attacking until he aimed for a small dent in the side. Kyou immediately raised his weapon and parried Link's attack.

Link, finally sensing an opening, ducked below Kyou's swing of an axe and stabbed at the point again. The point simply bounced off. Link avoided a second attack and rushed the target, attacking it as quickly as possible. Only minutes later did he see Kyou looming over him coldly, and realized his mistake.

_Dammit, I called his bluff,_ sheathing his sword; Link withdrew his black plated skulltula and tossed it to the ceiling. It spit out a long stream of webbing and completely covered Kyou from head to toe. Kyou simply extended his arms and ripped through the durable material like tissue paper.

Kyou reached for the spider-esque creature and effortlessly crushed it within his grip.

Link gulped.

Knowing that he had few practical resources remaining, Link brought out his mechanical Dodongo dragonhead and pulled the trigger, watching his rival shoot up in flames.

Disappointed to hear the familiar shaking footsteps of the colossus, Link withdrew his ocarina and small wooden dagger fashioned for him by Saria. As soon as he hit the first note, the footsteps died away, and the only think Link saw was a flash of silver before he felt something heavy and rigid come into contact with his ribcage.

At first he felt no pain, he almost felt weightless.

Then he felt a feeling similar to being shot in the abdomen by an explosive cannonball.

Kyou fist dug deeper into Link's stomach, causing him to cough a bit of blood onto Kyou's arm. It slipped off arm to the floor like thin water.

The last thing Link saw was the statue at the end of the hall. Its armor had been become stone, but the valiant weapon within its grasp remained. The man's face was not one of valor or pride, but of focused anger.

Link looked on in wonder just before he passed out, hearing only the words, "Just following orders…"


	7. Assessment

Following the advice of Biggoron, I've decided that chapters will from now on range between 5000 and (approximately) 8000 words in order to put less strain on the eyes (yours and mine).

Because of this, chapters will be added approximately once a week, twice if I'm lucky.

(And for those of you who aren't anime savvy and/or have poor logical or reasoning skills, "Kage" (which is **not** pronounced "cage") is Japanese for "shadow" and "no" means "of".)

Efficiency, efficiency and efficiency are three vital qualities which I severely lack, for now. If you have patience, words shall grace your screen more often. (I'm surprised that my editor is the only person who hassles me about these things, he appears to be quite fond of this story. After all, it is a masterpiece :))

Also, it would be wise to note that I prefer to post the story first, send the copy to the editor and then post the revised version later for the sake of time. We have very little contact with each other because he has football practice on weekdays (don't laugh, he's smarter than most) and I have fencing practice three times a week. Us being in contact with each other for more than an hour at a time occurs only when the planets align.

I can't believe I just spent $390 on equipment for my **feet**. Two pairs of shoes, arch supports ($250+) and shock absorbers. But I'm not complaining, give me my fencing shoes and I'm a freakin' speed demon.

**Disclaimer:** I paid for my Nintendo 64, Gamecube, GB pocket, GB color, GBA, **replacement** GBA (lost the first one) and GBA SP. If I owned Nintendo or the Legend of Zelda, those systems would have been free gimmicks, wouldn't they?

* * *

Chapter VI: Assessment

"Tell me, how long did he fare?"

"I was toying with him. You're lucky that I was, he'd be dead if you hadn't sent me that message."

"I know, looks like our true opponent has more plans for him than I previously anticipated."

"Any idea what this Triforce thing is?"

"As with all lands, empires and shrines are built to worship and protect sacred objects or deities. In this case, the Triforce happens to be just that, the peak of strength itself that lends the wielder powers far beyond comprehension and imagination of most."

"So just how powerful is it?"

"Its power is reflected by the user."

"So the stronger the wielder is on their own, the greater the Triforce increases said spirit?"

"Precisely. Exponentially."

"Jesus, wish we had known about this thing earlier."

"Don't allow greed to overtake you."

"Of course not, sir."

"Let's just see if he can pass his little test."

…

Link awoke surrounded by iron bars. He sat up within his cell and grimaced in pain as his broken ribs ground against each other. He reached into his pockets and was disappointed to find nothing.

"About time, I have no idea what he's talking about."

Link stared up and saw his previous opponent draped within the shadows. He was back to his original size as he leaned against the base wall of the stairwell.

"Kyou? What're you doing down here?"

"Kyou? Man, you're even dumber than you look." The man stepped from the shadows, and what Link saw made him freeze.

This man looked almost exactly the same, but his entire body was pitch black and his eyes and mouth were lacking of any pigment, entirely white.

"You may refer to me as Kage no Gekido," he said coldly.

Link's face turned pale, "The shadow of Kyou Gekido?"

Kage no Gekido closed his eyes and smirked, "Bingo."

"But-"

"Relax, I know as my person does, we shadows are simply opposite sides of everybody, or we are mirrors reflecting them entirely. Regardless of how dark a person's heart is, everyone has a shadow. Even the most evil of men have even darker sides," Kage no Gekido said as he leaned back against the wall and stared off at nothing.

"But what are you doing here?" Link asked, scratching his head.

"I serve Kyou Gekido, that is my purpose," he said, still refusing to meet Link's gaze.

"The only shadow I've ever seen in person besides yourself is my own. Why does mine not follow my footsteps?"

"For one, you are not as black hearted as those who have gained control over their own shadows-"

"So the level of darkness in a person's heart determines their control over their shadow?" Link asked, certain that he understood.

"That's only one side of the coin, the other half is determined by the level of strength, will and belief in oneself. For example, if one person is entirely empathetic, compassionate and loving, than one's demeanor is that of light. And if that person solely believes that how they act and what they do is correct, then such it is decreed that this person has complete control over their shadow. This form of shadow exists within one's personal spirit, matches their thoughts and actions to precise levels."

Kage no Gekido drew up two diagrams and pointed to the one to Link's left. It was a white silhouette with a question mark above its head.

"If however, one doubts one's own actions and thoughts, the shadow gains power over their master, eventually overcoming them entirely and consuming their mind and body. This is an example of darkness consuming light."

He snapped his fingers and pointed to it. Instantly, blackness rose from underneath the picture's feet and completely engulfing it.

This time, he pointed to another silhouette with a question mark over its head, but this one was colored darkly, "As with light, those who doubt the dark action and thoughts they perform are entirely consumed as well."

Kage no Gekido snapped his fingers; the diagram faded away.

"Lastly, those who are absolutely certain in their dark deeds have shadows who do not simply mimic their actions, but actually **amplify** those thoughts even further."

"So even though shadows may be tamed, if the person ever doubts themselves, the shadow gains control. And if the person has complete command over their confidence, the shadow will either obey or intensify those thoughts?"

Kage no Gekido nodded, "Exactly. And in some cases…"

"What?"

"The person even gains control and gives the shadow form."

Link was silent.

"Kyou Gekido, Hebi Suterusu and Kage Ochisuita all have or have had complete control. Although I have a free will, I am bound to perform actions that lie within my master's bidding. If I even think about rebellion, he could simply banish me to nothingness."

"Wait, you said 'have or have had complete control'. What did you mean?"

Kage no Gekido sighed, "Kage Ochisuita took his shadow's power's far beyond normal comprehension. He actually willingly completely **detached** himself from his shadow. This shadow, known as Kage no Ochisuita, the _Shadow of Shadows_ roams the world completely unbound by his previous master. Kage no Ochisuita is of his own constitution, and Kage Ochisuita cut the strings over his puppet for only a single purpose."

"And what would that happen to be?"

"Kage Ochisuita is nothing short of a bloodthirsty warrior who has spent his life searching for worthy opponents. When he enters battle, he leaves nothing less than pure chaos within his wake. He alone dictates the outcome of conflict. He intentionally **allows** his opponents to attack him head on simply to see how much damage they can inflict upon him."

He paused, "…But to be honest, I actually have no idea why he chose to do so. I don't have all of the answers."

"He sounds pretty crazy."

"Oh contraire, he's actually quite calm and light-hearted, at least half of the time…"

"How so?"

"His mind reacts differently to every situation. Assuming his mind is safe is sprinting headfirst into the lion's den."

"You mean Kage has split personalities?"

"In a sense, yes. Although his different attitudes function separately, they are indeed all the same person."

"Characters for every situation…"

Kage no Gekido nodded, "And not only is he as powerful and intelligent as they come, the things he can teach you are beyond phenomenal, assuming that he's actually willing to do so. He's the only reason that I truly exist. Although I am nothing more than an assistant, I am alive."

Link paused. The memory of his search for Navi finally jumped back into his head.

"So where's this "fairy black market" I've heard so much about?"

Kage no Gekido frowned, "I'm insulted, we're not common criminals. We're simply a group of wanderers who seek to find true strength, some of us more than others. Like Kage as to Hebi for example."

Link glared at him, "So why are you keeping me in this cage? And where's all of my equipment?"

"I can answer that."

A familiar voice trailed down the stairs as a slim figure entered the room, "Hey there, cutie."

"Hebi? What are you doing here?"

"She's the one who decided it would be fun to strip you down and take all of your things. Calling her thorough is an insult, be grateful you still have your hair."

"Although there really wasn't much else to look at…"

Link looked over Hebi's shoulder to see a silhouette in a very similar shape of her own, and with a color palette the same as Kage no Gekido.

"Actually, **she's** the one," Kage no Gekido said coldly.

"Kage no Suterusu?" Link asked.

"My, somebody's actually not as dumb as they look. I'll give you credit, little boy," she said cynically.

Link gulped. If Hebi was fierce, than Kage no Suterusu could probably rip tear him apart faster than fire through paper.

"So, tell me **why** you took all of my stuff."

"Because somebody upstairs has big plans for you and wants to see just how capable you are," This was the last thing Link heard Kage no Gekido say before he spun around and slammed a button on the wall, removing the floor from Link's cell and sending him plummeting downwards.

"Aw, I was just getting started playing with him a little," Kage no Suterusu teased.

"Be quiet. I have my orders."

"Please, hon, call me Sune-ku," Kage no Suterusu said erotically, bending forward slightly and leaning towards his face.

"Jesus, leave me alone, you're almost as annoying as her. I've got work to do." Kage no Gekido said as he turned around and walked up the stairs.

"Although we are technically the same person, is there any particular reason why you're following him?"

"Speak for yourself, I may be your shadow, but I have my own thoughts, you know. I suppose I flirt with him because you secretly like Kyou yourself."

Hebi blushed, "I do not! He's an inconsiderate, sarcastic bastard!"

"So is Kage, yet you tend to flirt with him a bit more than anybody else. Although he certainly is far colder."

"I can't imagine why, I'm considered A-plus material." Hebi said.

"I suppose the men will just have to do about their business. Or at least try, it's our job to distract them."

"Amen."

…

Link sat up and rubbed his tailbone. Looking out into the distance, Link saw nothing but darkness through the stone-encased corridor.

Picking up a board of wood from the floor, he split in half the long way, placed its edge along the wall and struck it against the stone, hoping to get enough friction in order to get it lighted.

It did nothing.

Link tried again.

Still nothing.

Link looked at the end of the stick, then stumbled backwards as the flames nearly caught his hair.

_Awkward, who's ever heard of a stick that lights itself?_

Pointing his source of vision down the hall, Link slowly began to walk. His ribs weren't in nearly as much pain as he thought they would, but he'd definitely have to avoid bending over for a while.

Stumbling to his balance and struggling through the corridor, Link raised his guard whenever he heard even the slightest noise from dripping water to the simple sounds of nature. Having broken bones tends to shake one up a bit.

Forcing himself calm, Link sat, closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Making sure that he blocked out all distractions, Link focused his mind on the task at hand.

Calm oneself, and one shall emerge victorious.

Think rationally and assess the situation.

React appropriately and use force when necessary.

This was the code of the Hylian knights. It was one which Link had heard long ago. Whilst sneaking into Hyrule castle to contact the princess, he had stumbled into one of the castle's many corridors and saw into a meeting hall of knights.

Never had he seen such discipline and focus in their eyes.

He had listened to the chant used to ready them for battle and had used it on several occasions. It came to him a surprise that he only remembered it just now.

Standing up, Link crouched, raised his fists and took a deep breath. Clenching his left hand, Link launched a single straight punch forwards into the air. Immediately afterwards, he shifted his weight and struck forwards open handed with his right fist.

Withdrawing his fist, Link performed a half-back flip, landing on his hands and launching himself upwards legs fully extended. Righting himself, Link transferred the momentum into his legs and lunged forwards with a powerful straight.

Standing straight again, Link took another deep breath, opened his eyes, picked up his torch and broke into a sprint down the hall.

…

Link's first trial began the moment the stone wall fell from the ceiling behind him and blocked off his exit. He looked around carefully, prepared for an ambush of any kind.

When none came, Link barely eased himself and walked forwards.

The chamber rose far above Link's head, the ceiling lost from visibility by the dank lighting from the torches that sat within depressions within the stone that surrounded the edge. Putting out his torch and putting it into his pocket of infinite storage, Link walked into the eerie room.

In the middle of the room stood a pillar in the shape of a corkscrew. Link ran his fingers over it, but couldn't figure out its significance.

Figuring that he'd find out later, Link looked upwards and saw a passageway about twenty feet overhead. Stomping the ground, Link prepared to jump and grab onto a handhold in the wall.

The pain in his stomach stopped him halfway through the air and resulted in Link meeting a hard collision with the floor.

What Link did not expect, however, was the floor bouncing a few inches below, then immediately returning to its initial position. Intrigued by his observation, Link jumped into the air and stomped down upon the floor. Rather than meet his force, the ground simply sank a few inches, then immediately spun back upwards to its original point.

Confused, Link paced backwards and felt the floor rotate downwards.

Now understanding the concept, Link turned around and sprinted. Granted, his horizontal positions remained fixed, but with the floor, Link descended through the cylindrical chamber until the floor would drop no farther.

Looking around, Link looked for any kind of passageway or door. As soon as he spotted one, he looked in through its direction.

Inside was an indescribable darkness, a seemingly mocking, chilling and haunting corner of everybody's mind that beckons them, and repels them simultaneously.

Link took one step forwards and immediately jumped backwards as flames sprang from the floor, almost catching the tips of his boots.

Link looked in again and felt an unfamiliar chill run down his spine, one colder than the densest ice seeping into one's soul.

Shuddering, Link turned right and sprinted to take the base up a few floors.

_I'm getting the hell out of here!_

…

"He's been blocked out by the southern gate?"

"Affirmative, sir."

The man laughed, "Interesting, haven't heard many of these incidents recently. Inform me of his progress later. I look forward to hearing of him failing miserably."

…

As soon as the base refused to raise any farther, Link looked around the walls and spotted a thin metal pole jettisoning from a space in between the stone blocks.

Jumping up to the bar, Link grabbed onto it and pulled himself up. As he stood upon it, he prayed that it would not give way to his weight. He then crouched and launched himself towards the next shaft and grabbed on.

Realizing that he was moving far too slow, Link shifted his weight behind him, swung forward and used the momentum to spin over and under the bar until he had enough speed to send himself upwards any farther.

After several minutes of the same process, Link reached a platform that jutted from the walls and led to another doorway. The difference from the last one, however, was that this one led to a room so bright that it could blind one in a matter of seconds.

Shielding his eyes, Link took his torch and pushed it though the doorway. As he had not expected, flames shot up and blocked his path.

But Link noticed that they did not give off a resisting heat, but rather a warm one that Link felt comfortable near. The closer he pushed his hand, the more he had the temptation to touch the beautiful flare. As his hand finally came into contact with the blazing energy, Link felt no pain.

Withdrawing his hand, Link saw no burns or marks, which would indicate any sort of injury whatsoever. Mustering up his courage, Link closed his eyes and jumped through the flames.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a truly calming sight. What he saw reminded him of the interior of Majora's imagination.

When Link had fought against the spirit Majora three years ago, the giant moon summoned by the demon had sucked up the mask and Link along with it. Rather than enter the physical insides of a mass of rock, Link had found himself, along with his fairy partner, Tatl in a vast meadow of healthy grass and bright flowers surrounding a gorgeous tree. This was the mind of Majora, a spirit who had long ago forgotten hatred and power, but held only the impulses of a child, to be remembered, to have friends, to have somebody to play with.

The only residents of this imaginary world had been five children. Four of which Link had observed playing a game with each other, and each wearing a mask equal to the monsters which had taken control of the four temples Link had endured in order to spare the land of Termina an ill fate.

Completing the trials presented by each child, Link had given up all of his treasured masks and finally come into the presence of the single child who sat withdrawn underneath the protective branches of the magnificent tree.

The child, sensing Link's loss of power, granted him a single mask. The power contained within this carving sealed the soul of a ferocious god, one whose power was simply unheard of, indescribable even by legend.

The fight between the Fierce Deity and Majora had been over before it started.

When Link had removed the mask, he had literally felt the incredible amount of power rush from his veins back into the wooden mask.

It made Link shudder to realize just how powerful one could become if one looked in the right places.

But the field Link stood in gave him a warm, calming feeling, one that he had truly missed.

Even having no duties of battle back home, Link had always been at work.

And now was the time that Link could take to sit back and rest.

"Are you always so foolish, young warrior?"

Link Jumped backwards in a somersault/back flip maneuver and tensed his muscles.

"What do you want with me, Kyou Gekido?"

"Relax, I'm not here to kill you, yet," he said calmly as he looked down at the grass at Link's feet and gently pushed up his glasses. His form was back to that of when Link had first seen him. He was shorter and his muscles did not bulge nearly as much, but he was no less intimidating.

"What do you mean, **yet**? Haven't you lunatics messed with my life enough already?"

Kyou Gekido shook his head and sighed, "Once, again, another ignorant soul fails to see past deception and understand one's true intentions."

Link cocked an eyebrow.

"Tell me, how often do you face opponents as strong as ourselves?"

Link thought for a moment, "Almost never, really."

"And why do you think we always beat you to within an inch of death, yet leave you with just enough energy to survive?"

Link shrugged.

Kyou smacked himself in the forehead, "In the name of all that's logical and significant, think!"

Link said nothing.

Kyou sighed and reached for his scythe. Link tensed himself again and gulped. Fighting unarmed against an opponent as skilled as his own was suicide.

Rather than rush straight at him full force, Kyou swung at the grass. Link watched in amazement as the grass simply bent underneath the sharp, curved blade and swayed with the wind that blew from nowhere.

"This meadow represents the purity of heart, unbreakable passion and the gentle strength of justice. But it also represents innocence and naivety and foolishness. Tell me, were you not rejected by the southern gate?"

Link nodded.

"The door far beneath us leads to a blazing inferno, one only a sick, demented sadistic masochist could enjoy. It represents infinite power, the will to endure and vast knowledge. But it also represents lust, sorrow and rage."

"Wait," Link said, "you said that the darkness below is represented by knowledge?"

"Innocent souls rarely know the truth. Naivety comes from ignorance."

"And greedy souls rarely know compassion," Link retorted.

" 'Tis true, each side has its strengths and weaknesses. And you are simply one of the few to have even seen this place, consider yourself lucky."

"And why exactly am I here?"

"Hey, I don't have all of the answers." Kyou immediately slammed the tip of his scythe into the ground. Within instants, the handle bent parallel to the blade and shortened. The blade, in turn, grew in length until it represented a sword of its own.

Kyou snapped his fingers, from the air was created a katana, which fell to Link's feet. Link picked up the blade, placed its sheath in his belt and

Kyou turned his left foot sideways, moved it back two feet, crouched, raised his back arm behind his head and pointed his blade directly at his opponent.

"En guard."

Link unsheathed his weapon, raised his sword arm and charged forwards.

Smiling, Kyou parried his attack and jammed his blade through Link's abdomen. As soon as the guard of his weapon touched Link's flesh, he retracted his blade and hopped back to avoid Link's swipe.

Link clutched his stomach and was surprised to see no blood.

Kyou smirked, "This blade follows my whim. If I wished to hurt you, so it would have been done. This is a test of endurance."

"Does the weapon I wield do the same?"

Kyou laughed, "Foolish boy, you couldn't hurt me if your life depended on it."

Enraged by his arrogance, Link ran forwards and thrust his blade directly forward. Kyou simply jumped back and avoided the action completely.

Picking up his momentum, Link moved forwards again and attempted to strike Kyou with his elbow. Kyou simply blocked this attack with the flat of his blade.

"Nope, even being sneaky isn't going to help you this time."

Kyou pushed Link backwards. As he struggled to regain control of his balance, Kyou jumped into the air and smacked Link across the face the flat of his blade.

Link brought his blade underneath and attempted to strike his opponent from underneath. Kyou simply shifted his weight in the air, knocking the weapon from Link's grip and shoving his blade into Link's hand. He immediately shot down his foot onto Link's fingers and sandwiched them between his shoe and the ground.

Link chopped at Kyou's ankle. Kyou withdrew the blade and jumped back.

Once again, there was no blood. The only thing damaged was Link's dignity.

Rising from his position, Link charged again and swung horizontally. Kyou jammed the tip of his blade into the ground and let Link waste his energy. Rather than make contact with his own steel, however, Link moved his blade upwards and slashed downwards instead. Kyou simply turned on the handle of his weapon and kicked Link in the spine, sending him skidding across the field.

Link stood up and coughed. He wiped the dirt from his face and cracked his knuckles.

"Calm yourself, your actions thus far have been nothing but foolish."

Link sighed underneath his breath. He sat down, closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before tensing his grip on his blade.

"Relax, it is far too immoral to attack an opponent in meditation preparation," Kyou said as he snapped his fingers. Within his hands materialized a small cup of steaming tea.

"If you ever begin to feel sick in the middle of a battle, I strongly recommend a clear drink, like water, juice or tea to expel the toxins from your system. Battle is a physical and mental game on several planes."

Kyou blew across the rim of the cup gently, took a sip and sat down.

"Whenever you're ready…"

Link listened to the gentle rustle of the leaves by the wind of unknown origins. It did not bother him that he did not know how it was produced; the effects of the element were soothing, nonetheless.

Reciting the Hylian Anthem within his head several times over, Link felt his breathing slow to a stable level with his heart rate and felt his body ease its tension.

The moment he had calmed himself, Link slowly stood up and withdrew his weapon.

Rather than charging this time, Link cautiously made his way over to Kyou's position and raised his weapon.

"Ready."

Before he could react, Kyou dropped his cup and moved so quickly that he disappeared from sight.

Link spun around and swung his blade, hoping to find a target. What he felt was a sharp kick to the back of his head.

"Don't assume, trust your senses."

Link got up, rubbed his skull and ran forwards. Rather than slash wildly this time, Link focused carefully and thrust his blade directly in front of him.

Seeing Kyou react as he had expected, Link brought down his weapon, jammed its tip into the earth, used its position to build up momentum and smashed Kyou's glasses with the base of his palm.

Kyou stumbled backwards. In only a few moments did he gain his stature. He stood calmly, brushed of his arm and waved his hand over the grass, which held temporary shelter to the shattered lenses. In a flashing instant, the eyepieces reconstructed themselves and flew back to Kyou's face.

"Silly me, I made a single assumption. One moment."

He lifted up his foot and brushed off the bottom of his pants, applied pressure to the top of his nose, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good. Connect two more attacks and I'll let you pass."

Link didn't hesitate. Pulling his weapon from the ground, Link righted his balance and advanced.

Within moments was the calm silence of the wind split with the echoing clashes of metal to metal.

Link saw his opponent's moves and acted accordingly.

Overhead slash, parry, thrust, counter-parry, horizontal slash, parry, disengage, riposte. The two titan's blades connected time and time again.

_Beat, circle. Parry, counter, dammit!_

Link played the bout through his mind and felt each clang pass through his body until he saw Kyou make an overhead slash.

_An opening!_

Link immediately deflected the incoming assault by raising his blade over his head and swung horizontally.

"Wrong."

Kyou immediately picked up the transferred energy from Link's defense, circled the blade around to the left, knocked Link's attack out of the way and struck Link's head with the back of his right ankle.

Link skidded across the grass.

As his body slowed, Link looked at the green sprouting from the ground and immediately realized his mistakes.

_Sway with the wind._

Placing his hand into the dirt, Link immediately slowed his skid and jumped upward back towards his opponent. Kyou swung his blade directly overhead. Link evaded the attack to his right and ducked to avoid the next attack aimed at his head.

Kyou launched a powerful Kick to Link's stomach.

Link grabbed his foot and muffled his power.

Kyou immediately responded by throwing another kick to Link's head.

Link reacted by grabbing Kyou's ankle and throwing it upward, Sending Kyou's feet over his head.

Kyou simply landed on his hands and pushed back, sending a third kick to Link's face.

Link held up his hands to grab his foot.

Kyou retracted his extended leg, pushed out with his other leg and smashed into Link's ankle.

Before Link could react, his opponent launched a powerful open-handed punch to his abdomen, causing him to stumble backwards and land on his backside.

Kyou stood up, took of his glasses and cleaned them with the bottom of his shirt, "Don't assume, you're simply going to fall into a trap."

Link stood up, wiped off his tunic, pulled his weapon from the ground and threw it directly at his opponent's head. Kyou immediately dodged it and charged.

Link smirked.

"Kaitengiri!"

Even without a weapon, the spinning force of Link's forearm connected with Kyou's skull and sent him crashing to the ground.

Kyou stood up and sneezed, "Tricky, unexpected. You're learning. But tell me one thing."

"What would that be?"

"Is it really necessary to **tell** you're opponents what you're about to do?"

Link's smile faded. He'd have to break out of that habit sooner than never.

Kyou held up a single finger, "One more and we're done."

Rather than attack straight on, Kyou sheathed his blade and raised his hands. Palm up, he stared at Link with a determined focus.

Link planted his weapon in its holster. Raising his fists, Link prepared for his next, and hopefully final trap.

Kyou sidestepped his way around the field slowly while Link rotated accordingly, refusing to allow him to strike unexpectedly.

"Not too bright, are you?" Kyou asked, pointing at Link's feet.

Link looked downwards and noticed nothing. He looked up at Kyou to retaliate when suddenly it hit him full force.

Not only had Kyou gained the upper hand by higher altitude, but he had also taken advantage of Link's gullibility and thrown in an attack when he was distracted.

Shifting his weight behind him. Kyou threw a devastating punch to Link's jaw, launching him at least five yards into the air.

"Relax, but focus. Any distractions will be the death of you."

Link got up and smirked behind his hand. Kyou had given away a little bit of information that would certainly work against him.

Kyou immediately rushed him, launching a flurry of strikes that Link could hardly see, let alone counter effectively.

Link felt the pain rush through his body and became aware of his opportunity. It was almost as if Kyou was purposely giving him an opening.

As a strike connected to Link's face, he reeled back in pain, but held steady just enough to see Kyou readying himself for a powerful straight punch.

Immediately turning his feet sideways and turning his body behind his right arm, Link caught Kyou's punch within his left palm and pulled it back to absorb the momentum and minimize the pain.

Kyou immediately counteracted by sending another punch for the side of Link's head with his free arm.

Using his empty hand, Link captured this attack as well and prepared himself.

Kyou, sensing the lack of timing, pulled in a crude counter.

Kyou's knee connected with Link's abdomen.

But the pain in that area was minimal as the burst of a loud crack like rock striking rock rang throughout.

Link grimaced as the pain in his forehead shot through the rest of his body. Kyou clutched his forehead and fell backwards.

"Game."

Kyou stood up, shook his head and said, "Crude, but effective."

Link smiled, but stumbled over, dazed. Nobody had ever told him how much a headbutt could hurt in more contexts than one.

"Your focus and temper control are mediocre, but your stance, reactions and speed are certainly above average. Refine your style and you'll certainly be a dangerous man."

Link said nothing.

"Questions?"

"Why?"

Kyou smiled, "You may not be very quick, or very bright. But you figure things out sooner than most. Time will bring answers."

Link rubbed his forehead and groaned. An enormous lump had made residence on Link's face.

"But I do have some questions that you could answer," Link said, taking his mind off of the deformation.

"Shoot."

"First, are you going to repair or replace my weapons?"

"I am able, but first you'll have to demonstrate to me why you need them so."

"And when shall I have the opportunity?"

Kyou closed his eyes and shifted his head downwards, "Patience, in due time."

Link slumped his shoulders.

"Second. Would you mind telling me why you chose to fight me as you are now? Wouldn't it have been much easier for you to stick with the style that you're accustomed to?"

"To tell the truth, I don't like things being easy. Takes all the fun out of things."

"But-"

"Calm down, you're not going to be facing many opponents as experienced as ourselves. You can take down the small fry that you happen to crash into more often than not."

Kyou snapped his fingers. Two small cups of tea materialized near Link's feet and into Kyou's hand. Kyou took a deep sip and sniffed.

A sparrow flew out from the branches of the tree and settled on Kyou's extended finger. It looked around, craned its neck towards Kyou's face and chirped.

Kyou lifted his hand and led the bird away as it flapped its wings and flew off into the infinite distance.

"Darkness sees the lies that the Light overlooks. Light sees the truths that the Darkness neglects."

"Remember these words, they shall lead to true understanding."

With that, Kyou turned on his heel and walked away. Link looked up and saw that he was already gone.

Link knelt down, picked up his cup and took a deep sip. He enjoyed the warmth that poured down his throat and through his system. It made him feel alive again.

He fell back into the grass and watched the clouds dance gracefully upon the virgin sky. He breathed in deeply the uncontaminated air and took his time to reflect. He was not in the best of moods, but it was as good a time as any to improve himself. Ignoring the pain in his stomach from a lack of nourishment, Link closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax.

After all, realizing just how much you have to learn isn't exactly a gentle wake up call.

_Calm oneself, and one shall emerge victorious._

_Think rationally and assess the situation._

_React appropriately and use force when necessary._


	8. Predicaments

I find it exceptionally irritable that Microsoft Word decides to place random page breaks into the text rather than returns upon upload. It only fuels my hate for Bill Gates further when I happen to find at least fifteen of these glitches within the text and spend minutes hunting them down. Even more so when site traffic happens to deny my request and force me to waste my time hunting down said glitches **twice**.

Therefore, shortening the content makes my job easier once again. Hooray.

I've finally gotten a new foil (read: Blade) and guard. They shall remain shiny till Thursday. Double hooray.

This chapter's pretty short compared to the others, but I needed to cut back a bit to make some significant turns. Now I'll keep you guessing so much your brain will cease its functions! (Maniacal laughter)

And to **Cho 17**: I appreciate your assistance. My current summary is only tentative, I can't really decide what shall remain the definite choice, but it'll come sooner or later.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, the amount of insanity within the storylines would somehow give Link the intelligence and ability to come into the real world and brutally murder me, despite the games' ratings and hero's morals. That's just the way things happen to work a fraction of the time.

* * *

Chapter VII: Predicaments

Malon sat upon the edge of her bed, tightly hugging her knees and glancing out the window every time a ray of light reflected off of something along the horizon and flashed into her window. Disappointed only to see her father's assistant toiling in the fields with a shovel and a rake, she would look back down upon her hands.

It had been a week since Link had left.

She had been with other guys. They were generally pushy, lazy and demanding. What they lacked in wit they failed to make up for in anything else. They had big egos, were unable to back up their empty promises, pleads and threats, lacked any form of etiquette and they cared not for her satisfaction. One could think of any single redeeming quality, and it was one that Link possessed, and one that any other lacked.

She felt as if she were in love.

To think that, she was told, was foolishness.

Malon picked up her pillow and shoved her face into it, attempting to bury her misery.

Never had she felt so lonely.

…

**"Son of a damned skulltula, did anybody ever plan on giving me even a subtle hint on HOW THE HELL I'M SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF HERE?"**

Link continued to swear as he banged his fists against the bark of the tree.

"Do you have any freaking idea in Hyrule what I'm supposed to be doing right now? Do you know how many stalchildren, skulltulas, stalfos and other evil spirits are wandering through my land right now? **Are you even paying any &?$#!"! attention to what I'm saying?**"

Link momentarily ceased his stream of consciousness, anticipating an answer. When it did not come, Link collapsed backwards and fell into the grass.

Luckily for him, somebody literally higher up had decided to grant him enough food and water to survive. Link had no idea how long he had been trapped within his incredibly luscious prison, but if things did not begin to move soon, he worried that his sanity would snap.

Angrily muttering underneath his breath, Link grasped his temporary weapon, crouched into an on guard position and trained himself until the nonexistent stars fell below the horizon.

…

It is said that many dimensions coexist within reality. Not all worlds are created equally, but it is rumored that a single incarnation within one has his or her own self spread across the plane of reality.

It is neither time nor space that separates these worlds. It is similar to life itself in that things occur as ups and downs along the way.

Such was a place called Hyrule far, far away along this road.

It was legend within this Hyrule that existed a race of miniscule creatures whose sole purposes were to grant the wishes of humans.

Elders tell to youngsters that these creatures are visible only to children with pure hearts and true intentions.

This is the legend of the Picori.

It was once said that when the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadows that these mystical creatures fell from the sky, granting the hero of men a beautiful sword and a golden light, and with these, his strength, his wisdom and his courage, that he drove the shadow out of his world. The blade was then enshrined away to commemorate the hero and the Picori for their deeds.

Nearly centuries later, a time came upon the annual ceremony whereas the people of this Hyrule celebrated the Picori. And it was upon this particular year that marked the ringing of a new century, one where the door to the world of the Picori opened and brought true happiness into the world.

But there was one such Picori who felt not the want to bring happiness.

This mere child of a creature yearned for power beyond contemplation.

He was known merely as Vaati.

Vaati was quite menacing. With straight light violet hair that hung from underneath his pointed amethyst cap that housed a golden headband encasing a large red gemstone. These long strands of his hair covered his right eye. Red they were, they gave a piercing gaze, which would send pure terror down the spines of those foolish enough to challenge his strength.

Entering the world of humans, this boy rose throughout the ranks of the fighting tournament of the festivities.

The prize? The blade of the hero and the chest that contained exactly what Vaati sought after.

Power sprang from the chest as it burst open, unleashing a flurry of demons upon the world.

Vaati, enraged by his inability to contain these forces within himself, left to assemble the pieces of the Triforce for himself. In his wake, he left a legendary blade in pieces, a young princess Zelda turned to stone and a young Link with a battered body and damaged ego.

Link, determined to rid his world of these monsters and return the princess to her former self, collected the four elements and overcame the power of Vaati.

Along his journey, Link came into contact with a strange creature in the shape of a hat. Ezlo, his name, was green, short, had a big beak, bigger ego and loved nothing more than to continuously rant on about things that were insignificant to one as young as Link. Nevertheless, they continued onwards, and Link and Ezlo became close friends.

As their quest neared an end, Link learned that Vaati's goal for power included the energies of the Light force within princess Zelda. When he came face to face with the bloodthirsty sorcerer, the princess' life had almost been entirely drained.

With this new power, Vaati transfigured into a ferocious demon, his form forever changing reflecting his warped desires until Link used the power of the four sword to cut him down.

As the princess returned to normal, Ezlo hopped off of Link's head and returned to his original form as a wise Picori sage. The world still remained in chaos, so Ezlo took the power of his creation, the Minish cap, and gave it to the princess. This cap had the power to grant its wearer's wishes unprejudiced.

The princess, her heart and desires pure, wished for the return of her loved ones, to rid the monsters from the world and to have Hyrule go back to the way it was supposed to be. As she did, she watched the sorcerer Vaati return to his former self, untainted by greed and desire.

As it had turned out, Vaati was Ezlo's pupil. When he had arrived to the human world, Vaati had seen that the strong and the proud performed horrible deeds, and thusly followed closely.

Stealing the Minish cap from his master and cursing him into the shape of a hat, Vaati entered the human world as the gate opened and went in search of power.

Only when he realized just how terrifying power could be did Vaati deeply regret his actions. Ezlo, fully understanding his young pupil's mistake, forgave him and with him crossed through the door back to the world of the Picori, happy to leave the human world with peace and happiness, and walked forth with a sad but proud farewell to Link.

Vaati left with his master, full of shame and regret. But there was a feeling within his heart that he could not recognize. He did not welcome the feeling, but it was something that made a small, urging sensation grow within his chest.

He wanted to forget it, but no matter how deeply he buried it within his soul, it sat down and regained its strength.

The lust for power never ceased its residence within Vaati's heart.

…

It had been ten years since that day…

In a small village upon the countryside of the Picori world, a full-grown wizard Vaati ran through the streets.

Normally, this was the time that he sprinted home, a bag of fresh bread and vegetables in his grasp, with eager anticipation of lunch with his experienced teacher.

But this was no normal day.

And the village's peace was gone as the bright streaks of red hotter than the sun itself took all that Vaati knew and loved and sent it crashing to the Earth as nothing more than ash.

Bursting through the door, Vaati saw Ezlo sprawled across the floor, breathing heavily underneath the foot of a figure whose face was shrouded within the darkness.

"Master!" Vaati screamed, kneeling before his fallen teacher.

"Vaati, run…" Ezlo spoke with all of the energy he could muster.

"No, master! I'm not going to-"

"That's an order! You need-" These were the last words that escaped Ezlo Picori's tired lips.

"Foolish mortal, challenging me. I would've loved telling you who I am, but seeing your lack of spirit fills me with boredom," The shadow cloaked figure rose his gaze upon the horrified wizard, "You there."

Vaati gulped. Thinking quickly, he dove for his deceased master's stave. Gripping it tightly, his hands shaken, thrust it forwards.

A bolt of lightning burst from the tip and illuminated the room, piercing the air and revealing the man's face for just a moment.

The man simply smirked, shoved the tip of his foot through the floorboards and allowed the bolt of energy to strike the tip of his finger. It died out without so much as a flare.

What scared Vaati speechless, however, was the gleam of power within his attacker's eyes.

It brought upon horrible memories of years passed. It made him shiver.

The man lifted his foot from the splintered plank and took a single, booming step forwards.

Vaati sat back, cowering in fear as the man reached for his head.

His fingers stopped only inches from Vaati's forehead. In a blinding flash of light, Vaati rose from the floor as if lifted by spirits.

His body twitched and screamed in agony as he felt an all too familiar urge rising up through his body. He felt it take physical form as it overflowed his body and gushed from his lungs like a raging fire.

When he fell to the floor, Vaati's mind was no longer stable.

"I have given you the power you had lost, and the urge required to maintain, control and utilize said might. Your master's experience is now your own. Your people's hope is nothing more than a memory, and the darkness in your heart has been rekindled. Follow me for what you seek."

Vaati said nothing, his head simply hung like that of a rag doll as his foot touched the floor.

"Three days. Prepare, rid yourself of filial obligations and cut the ties of bonds of friends. Come to me, and you shall receive what you desire."

And with that, the figure disappeared within an instant.

Vaati's face was overshadowed by the darkness that hung from the ceiling, despite the flames that wicked away at the wooden shelter. An unseen force repelled those bits of fire trepid enough to near the sorcerer. Vaati was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"Brother! We have to get out of here!"

Vaati did not open his eyes. His young sibling cried out from the doorway, desperate for her brother.

Vaati curled his fingers.

The door slammed behind the petite child, pushing her directly into the flames.

Her screams of agony were enough to make Vaati smile as blackened blood trickled from his gleaming teeth.

The Vaati that Ezlo had known, raised and loved was forever lost…

…

Far along the path of dimensions this man traveled, stopping upon such a one whereas the cold winds blew across a forgotten land.

As he dove through the barriers that separated these world, he felt himself plunging dozens of feet to the Earth below.

He did not possess an expression of worry. As his descent increased its velocity, he merely smiled.

Slowly he righted himself and allowed his power to bring him to a gentle halt as the tip of his feet touched the grass.

Within instants, plants and animals inside a fifty-foot radius decayed from green and brown to the darkest shades of black and grey. There was but a single patch spared such a fate.

A single remaining tombstone stood firmly within the grass. The wind pierced the barrier of shadow and the grass within the dome swayed with its elemental counter part.

The man stood and read over the elegy upon the headstone.

_Do not taint this world further darkened_

_Even with schemes of kindness lent_

_To bring trickery to the house of moral_

_Even such, did not deserve a painful end_

The man looked upon it intensely, "Pain but a fickly remnant."

"This world tainted naught."

"For along the road of time."

"Starts and ends to touch one point."

And with that the man gently pointed his finger upon the carved rock, willing it into the air. The words jumped from the rock and hovered upon the swaying blades of earth's children.

As the Earth parted, a pale body rose from the depths and righted itself.

Covering the large frame was a loose blood red robe. Gracing the center of this garment was a single blue eye, as if to look into one's heart and soul.

As he opened his eyes, one could be but distracted by the chilling features of his pale turquoise colored skin and stone cold grey eyes.

"Pain but a cruel mistress," the man shrouded in shadow spoke.

"Mocking with no laughter," the red robed wizard said softly.

"Death a simple sickness," recited the figure within the blackness.

"Curable as the two ends meet," sang the wizard softly.

"Piercing the soul and hearts' contents," they chanted in unison.

"Desires and law are simply joint."

"Engulf the mind and body shall."

"Starts and ends to touch one point."

For a time they were quiet. Only the gently howl of the wind was present.

The red robed wizard nodded as the man smirked and disappeared from view.

Agahnim looked to the broken sky and cackled. It felt good to be alive.

…

"Any others that I should know about?"

"None that I can think of at the moment, but we'll think of more as we go along."

"Very well, initiate your rituals, I'm going to find survivors to crush."

"Enjoy yourself."

Ganondorf rose from his throne and burst apart the double doors into a dining hall of sorts.

It was entirely empty with the exception of Ganondorf's presence. He looked over his home and closed his eyes, knowing that what he sought would become a reality, and the methods required were inevitable. He no longer needed weak, mindless monsters to do his work.

Ganondorf chuckled.

Sitting upon the bench to his organ, he promptly pressed down upon the keys and played to his heart's content.

…

Deep within the confines of the Kokiri forest lay a place known as the Lost Woods. It was within these woods that misguided fools wandered, and never returned.

Any soul ignorant or unwise enough to pass through the growth found themselves running throughout the same spot over and over, and anyone, Kokiri, Hylian or otherwise was doomed to fade into oblivion and become a servant to the earth.

After all, trees cannot protect themselves.

And the Earth is not tainted by conception of appearance. This spirit knows no prejudice.

It was over these woods that an owl searched. His methods, as usual, were pointless as he looked into the usual clearing, saw the dark green bob of hair upon the head of girl that sat upon a stump and gently played her favorite instrument.

Swooping down, He perched upon the branch that jutted over the broken stairs and hooted.

Kaepora Gaebora retracted his wings and sighed.

"Hello there, Saria. I trust that things are going well?"

Saria put down her ocarina looked up towards the clouded sky and sighed heavily.

"Not so much…"

"Feeling stressed?"

Saria nodded. Experienced and wise as she was, she was still only a child. To have such a burden placed upon oneself, as a guardian of peace and justice was not a painless task.

"They're doing well."

Saria smiled, "I know, he's strong enough to be able to take care of himself. Mido, as immature as he can act, is tough, too. They'll survive, but I wise there was something that I could do to see that they're actually well kept as opposed to just sleeping outside and fighting for their lives everyday."

"…They're fighters. It's what they do." Kaepora twisted his neck.

_I wonder why people always ask me why I turn my head so far. Why don't they just stop to think that I'm simply stretching my neck?_

"Most people don't see a big talking owl such as yourself very often," Saria said, smiling. Kaepora Gaebora hesitated for a moment, and then chuckled softly.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" He smiled one last time before preparing for take off and flapping his wings, rocketing skywards.

Saria's eyes traced his movements. Being a sage was a hard thing to do, but it was her duty.

A jolt of electricity shot through her mind that instant, creating a feeling of intense burning and searing freezing within her head. Although I do wish that I could receive messages a little bit easier.

**_Saria!_**

_Who is this?_

**_It's me, there's something down here that you need to see._**

Saria sighed, _Alright; I'll be down there shortly._

One of the perks of her abilities was being able to teleport fairly easily. Although she preferred the exhilaration of running though the forest, now was not the time for fun.

Nor was it the time for sadness.

…

_2953…2954…2955…2956..._

"Is there ever going to be a time when I don't catch you working your ass off?" Hebi Suterusu asked as the door to Kage Ochisuita's room swung open and clashed against the stone.

"…"

"…Hello?"

Kage resumed his pushups while in handstand upon his fingertips.

"Honestly, why do you push yourself so hard? And don't give me that 'Because nobody else will' crap either."

"…"

"Is this how you were raised? Like an animal in a barn?"

Kage stopped his routine. Hebi paused.

Shifting his weight behind his right arm, Kage placed his entire force upon his thumb and resumed.

Hebi sighed and placed a glass of water upon his nightstand. She pulled a chair from his strategy report, model and exercise routine cluttered desk and sat down, watching him push his body past unknown levels.

"When I was a child, my father was just like you."

Kage did not hesitate.

"…He was a sergeant. He barked orders upon my little brother and me like we were dogs. He made us train for hours at a time and didn't take crap from anybody. Whenever we went through routines, he would join us, shattering our efforts tenfold. The louder he shouted, the faster he went. If he told us to do 100 pushups, he would do 300. If he told us to sprint down the street, he would reach the corner before we were even halfway there."

_Ninety-seven...ninety-eight...ninety-nine...one hundred_

Kage exhaled deeply, stood upright, bent backwards and shifted his weight, supporting it with only his toes and his forehead.

_One…two…three…_

Hebi crossed one leg over the other, folded her hands together and continued, "He was a health nut, too. If either of us even considered picking up something with a dash of sugar in it, he would smack it from our hands, shove celery into our faces and make us run laps around the house, usually about a mile. If we failed to circle it ten times in under four and a half minutes, he would make us do it again until we hit the right mark."

Kage said nothing.

"…At age thirty-five, he fell in battle while being called back to war. It was said that his entire squadron was defeated before he was left alone. Completely surrounded by the opposing army, bystanders said that he felled a hundred enemy soldiers before taking a single scratch."

Kage drove his feet from the floor into a headstand. Taking deep breaths, he focused upon his breathing and held his body steady.

"My mother, unable to cope with the stress as a single parent on such a low salary turned to alcohol to ease her troubles. When I was thirteen and on my brother's tenth birthday, she put us up for adoption and left. We were then watched after by a small foster family."

_Twenty-one…twenty-two…twenty-three…_

"Five years later, my brother lost his sanity and murdered them. Before I could stop him, he stabbed himself."

"…"

"Thus, I've been looking for my mother ever since. I'm not even sure if she's still alive. But the spirit of my father lived on. His will and passion to make the best of himself passed on through my brother and myself. And today, I still carry this urge…"

Kage righted himself and tapped the floor three times. A black drenched figure rose from the floor. Its actions were mechanical and its thoughts nonexistent. It lunged at Kage, who swung his foot underneath it, snapping its ankles and shattering its neck with an elbow into the floor.

"…Mind if I join you?"

For the first time during the entire conversation, Kage looked upon her saddened eyes and bowed deeply.

Hebi dropped her weapons. She stood up, tied her long black hair into a ponytail as not to interfere, ran forwards and struck him across the face.

"What was that? You're not even trying!" she said as she launched a kick to his abdomen. He took the attack full force.

Hebi felt a great deal of shaking snake through her body as her foot struck Kage's battle-toned and well-endured muscles.

She simply shook it off and launched attacks at his body at several angles. They seemed to be dealing more damage to her hands than to her opponent.

Sensing her opportunity, she planted her foot and shifted all of her momentum behind one attack.

A small gleam sparkled within Kage's mind as he grabbed her foot mid kick, turned her body upside down and sent her sailing through the air.

Unable to regain her balance, Hebi braced herself for contact with the ground.

What she felt was a slowing descent as her body turned upwards.

She opened her eyes to see Kage gently supporting her weight with his right arm.

Her face turned as bright a color as her blood red clothes.

Kage slowly helped her up and looked down upon her. Still, he did not smile.

Hebi looked at him one last time, turned around and left. Saddened, she remained. Kage knelt where he stood and continued to repeatedly push his weight off the floor with his arms.

The only sound that echoed from the room was the heavy breathing of Kage Ochisuita as he destroyed the tissue within his body, making room for stronger muscles.

_React appropriately and use force when necessary._

_Think rationally and assess the situation._

_Calm oneself, and one shall emerge victorious._

…

The young princess Zelda sat upon the end of the meeting hall table, lazily twirling a strand of her golden locks around her finger and lazily glancing out the window as her father and a messenger from a neighboring kingdom conversed with about as much subtlety and manners of an average drunk.

They laughed, cried while laughing, poured some drinks, downed those drinks and laughed some more.

"Ah, good times, my friend. But we digress, to the…" (hic) "…point," the knight said slowly, his speech slurred and his standing position unstable.

"Yes, yes…what is it that you wanted again?"

"Well, your highness, it seems that…um…several of our greatest warriors have gone missing within the last few weeks." (hic).

It was as if the drunken stupor had drained from the King's body and brought the hangover before the nap, along with some fairly bad news.

"What! How could this have happened? Don't you have soldiers guarding the barracks twenty four hours?"

The man suddenly realized his predicament, as if somebody had just taken a bucket of ice water, smacked him in the face with it and proceeded to splash the remaining liquid in his face, "Well, that's just it, sire. All soldiers who were on duty happened to disappear the following morning. We've been executing searches across the countryside, throughout the city and across the continent searching for answers."

The king swung his hand across the table, sending the goblet sailing across the room and crashing into the wall.

Zelda awakened, startled from her snoozing.

"This is garbage! I demand to know who or what is responsible for this matter!"

Zelda, although not the least bit surprised by her father's reaction, was certainly interested in the current situation.

"Sir, we have no leads or even the slightest trace of what do-"

"Put the entire squadron on watch if you have to, or I will personally see to it that this monstrosity takes you with it!"

"Y-y-yes sire!" He stammered.

Zelda sighed, so much like her father it was. He was rude, loud and quick to anger, very unfit for royalty. It annoyed her that leadership was chosen by bloodline, and while she did realize that her position had its gimmicks, it required far more discipline and responsibility than most people realized, and far more than her father could ever supply.

The double doors of the meeting all burst apart and slammed against the stone brick in unison.

"Who dares intruded upon us? I specifically ordered that we have no visitors!"

The man within the doorway chuckled, ""Quick to anger as usual, I see?"

The King loosened his tautness. "Oh, it's you…" he said bitterly.

The man chuckled again, "Yes, I do believe I can assist you, if it is answers that you seek."

Zelda looked upon the man carefully, "Father, who is this?"

"Someone who can give us just what he promises, regardless of the outcome they may bring…"

…

Through a blackened hallway Mido sprinted quickly, his short legs bursting faster and further past their limits as he made it his only will to escape.

A blaring siren screeched throughout the entire fortress. Although he did not know where or what the infernal noise was produced, but why, he understood. Blaring alarms did exactly that, alert the enemy of his presence.

_C'mon, Link, I need your help!_

A pillar fell as its support to the ceiling collapsed and landed upon Mido's toe.

"Son of a-!" Mido yelled as his foot throbbed in pain.

He couldn't hesitate any further. Ignoring the discomfort, Mido continued to move as quickly as possible.

"There, turn left!" his fairy shouted as he neared a corner.

Mido did as he was told. Mido was glad that his fairy had followed him, he was like a living compass and dictionary.

But it was not the time for admiration. In a panic, Mido skidded across the floor and rounded the bend. Making up for lost speed, Mido sped up even more and kept running.

"There he is, get him!" Mido heard voices behind him shout, followed by an unfamiliar whistling. Arrows struck the doorway just beyond Mido. Lowering his head, Mido turned the corner to his right. He suddenly skidded to a halt and went back the other way.

"Trap him in the arena, he won't be able to escape!"

Mido couldn't even here the blaring noise from overhead anymore. His pounding heart, rushing adrenaline and heavy breaths blocked out anything that could have been heard, helpful or harmful.

Gasping for breath, Mido turned a corner, then another.

Guards piled through the halls and covered every angle they could reach.

Each of them failed to notice the muffling of the currents of air flowing from the vents above them.

As the halls cleared, Mido took out a bottle of water and spent several moments gulping down the refreshing liquid. As soon as he finished, Mido jumped from his hiding place and crept down the corridor, careful not to alert the enemy of his presence.

"Hey, Knowly…" Mido whispered, "Where to now?"

His fairy spoke out to respond when he met a painful electric shock to his backside. Before he could say anything, He was out.

"Knowly? What are you-?" Mido turned around just in time to see a taller figure etching towards him.

"You! What did you do to him?" The man said nothing but moved towards Mido.

"Get away from me!" he screamed, withdrawing his knife and lunging forwards, The man simply weaved around his futile attack and snapped a powerful chop to the back of Mido's neck.

Before Mido could do anything, his vision turned black and his body hit the cold metal floor.


	9. Insight

Considering how much easier it would be to read and how much more sense it would make, I've decided to take a few to all of the first five chapters and cut their lengths approximately in half in order to be able to make the story flow much easier. Expect a minimal amount of added content, the number of chapters to increase by five and a very irritable writer who'll bite off your head if you do something as mundane as knocking on my door and asking for a cup of sugar (by the way, who actually does that?).

Therefore, when the chapter count jumps from nine to fifteen, there'll be a new chapter along with it. Just don't get confused.

Noticing that I missed a significant section in the last chapter and knowing that it was a stupid mistake, I went back and added more to another section of the last chapter, as well as added a bit of a chunk of something new. Kudos to you if you actually read this and went back to indulge yourself.

I have a proposition for you. It should tell you just how biased people are. Upon go into pretty much any section within the directory and narrow the results to the romance genre. Then scroll down and find out just how many more reviews there are than chapters.

Just a thought…

**IMPORTANT:**It would be wise to know that I take this next statement **very** seriously.

**ANY REVIEWS THAT MAKE A DIRECT REFERENCE TO ANY POINTS WITHIN THE STORY THAT COULD POSSIBLY RUIN THE PLOT FOR ANYBODY ELSE WILL HAVE THEIR REVIEWS BLOCKED AND/OR DELETED.** The reason I take this so seriously is because time and time again I've lazily scrolled through the reviews and had major plot points thrown in my face before I even know what's happening, thus ruining the story. Seriously, don't do it, I will go to unheard of extents to ensure that you don't post reviews upon my stories again. Luckily, nobody has done it yet, but I'll be posting it at the beginning of each chapter from now on to remind you. For the next three chapters, I'll let you off with a warning. Do it again and I'll take action. (It's in bold, all caps and underlined for a reason, folks. Give me any crap that you failed to notice and you'll learn just how obstinate an evil-hearted, seventeen year-old maniac can be.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise. I can feel gratitude, but not regret. Except maybe in this instance (sobs).

* * *

Chapter VIII: Insight

The alarms continued to blare overhead as Hitoshirezu Kokorogake hoisted the unconscious Mido over his shoulder, picked up the containment unit with the miniscule pink glow hovering inside and broke into a sprint.

"He's rounded the second block, cut him off there!" A voice boomed through the speakers.

Hito smirked. His opponents tended to have the nasty habit of telling him exactly what they were trying to do in the first place.

Stopping in place, Hito looked over his shoulder from the corner of his eye to see a squad of archers chasing him down.

"There he is, open fire!"

The whistling of metal piercing space pierced the ringing vibrating the air. Hito smirked, spun around and waved his hand through the air. The arrows simply ceased their trajectory and burst into flames.

"What the hell?" screamed a random grunt.

"Forget about it, fire a second wave!" the squadron captain ordered.

The soldiers nocked their arrows again, pulled upon the strings in unison and fired.

This time, Hito did not wave his hand, but merely snapped his fingers. Time around him slowed as his attackers' bullets seemed to be moving through molasses. Waving his hand, the arrows instantly ceased their movements, spun in place and headed for their initial positions.

Casually strolling past them, Hito eased the tensing of his fingers. Time returned to its normal pace as Hito heard the clatter of twelve clangs of flesh on metal.

Music to his ears.

Hito closed his eyes and clenched his fingers. The instant he opened them, he willed himself forwards. His feet hovered above the deck as his body simply glided through the atmosphere.

"Keep moving, he has to be here somewhere!"

Guards ran directly below his feet. Hito smiled, he enjoyed watching fools run around in circles like sheep to a slaughter as his body remained invisible to the human eye.

Coming to an intersection, Hito glanced around and reached for the glass that held the spirit hostage.

"You, wake up."

The fairy remained silent.

Hito shook the jar, "Speak."

The fairy wiggled within his prison, "Bite me."

Hito sighed, "Tell me, do you wish to leave this place alive?"

"How do I know you're not like the other fools who locked up my brethren in here you filthy human?" The fairy stuck out his enormous tongue and spat. It was almost completely off scale with the rest of his body.

"Tell me, are fairies always this ignorant?"

"Who're you calling ignorant you pile of trash?" Knowly's medium pitched voice spat out an insult harsh enough to make a grown and knowledgeable man cry.

Hito glared at him. He then took the container and shook it violently enough that he almost swore he heard the fairy gag.

"Listen, and use your sense of logic. If I were here to imprison you with the rest of your family, would I be asking you for your guidance?"

Knowly the fairy said nothing.

"…well?"

"Be quiet, I'm thinking here!"

Hito smirked.

The fairy fluttered within his chamber and observed his surroundings.

"…"

"Uh-oh."

Hito clenched his teeth. "This isn't a time for jokes," he hissed, "Now tell me where to go so we can get the hell out of here."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you **can't**?" he demanded, raising his voice.

"These hallways look the same, and I don't know our location because **you** were stupid enough to knock me out, therefore making me lose my sense of direction you **toad**!" Knowly barked.

"I swear to the determining forces of the universe," Hito said, frustrated, "that if we get stuck here, I'm going to kill you before somebody gets the chance to tear off my head."

Knowly's glow changed from subtle pink to an intense red, "What the #$&! are you blaming **me** for? **You're** the one who came in here, knocked my partner unconscious and started running around with us like an idiot! How come **you** didn't keep track of where you were going?"

"I ran out of breadcrumbs…"

"What?"

"Never mind, I'm just going to start moving again, tell me if you recognize any of our surroundings."

Knowly snorted.

Hito stuck the jar underneath his arm, lowered himself to the floor and ran straight forwards.

Opening the door, a flash of light flooded Hito's vision. Stepping forwards, Hito waited for his sight to return. What his eyes told his brain amazed him. He stood in the middle of a circular room with a floor of sand and metal. Surrounding the floor was a line of large metal doors. Above the entrances were rows and rows of seats.

Before Hito could realize what he had just walked into and turn around, the door behind him slammed itself shut.

Knowly slapped himself in the forehead, "#$&!."

The doors surrounding the arena instantly opened and hundreds of guards poured in, completely surrounding Hitoshirezu Kokorogake and his prizes.

"Hmm…" Hito mumbled.

"What?"

"It's usually at this point that the mob boss slash gang leader comes from the least expected place, congratulates me on my efforts thus far, tells me that I'm going to die and gives me the opportunity to kill his henchmen, work my way up to him and allow the organization in question to crumble due to a lack of intelligent support."

Knowly stared at him like he was crazy, "…so?"

A small cylindrical baton hanging from Hito's belt began to shake violently. Its clip released its hold on the item and it flew into Hito's hands. Willing his mind into it, a button upon the article depressed and a long red beam emitted from the handle.

"So…" he began, grabbing the weapon within his grip.

He swung it downwards and tensed his grasp, "They can't make this any easier."

…

Princess Zelda looked upon her father's guest in awe.

Upon his back was a rather large and heavy looking sack covered in masks of sorts, ranging from strange to completely bizarre.

His slicked orange hair, open toed sandals and purple robe were a crime to fashion by themselves, but his slanted eyes and incessant smile were enough to make her shiver. Creepiness now had a new definition.

"Milady," he spoke politely, bowing before her and lowering his head.

Zelda gave a crooked and confused smile.

The King spoke up, "Cease your pester of hollow sincerity, what is it that you want?"

"My, my, somebody seems to have learned his manners from mutant sewer octoroks."

The King clenched his teeth. Sarcasm was something this man was impervious to, and acting like a fool severely lowered his Majesty's chances of getting what he wanted.

The King sighed, "Very well, I apologize, what is it that you desire?"

The man knelt backwards as if struck by surprised. Zelda saw through this weak attempt to seem moral, "Oh, no, no, no! I do not ask for anything in return, I simply came to answer any questions that you might have."

Zelda swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke, "But you are merely a mask salesman, how could you possibly have answers to any significant questions that the Royal family could present you with?"

The man turned to face her. His smile did not fade. Zelda felt anxious.

The Happy Mask Salesman looked back to the King, "Ah, Luther. She may not look much like you, but she certainly is as lacking in intelligence as you are."

As it was, Zelda did not resemble her father in the least. While her skin was light, her hair golden blonde and her eyes deep sapphire, her father was tan, gruff and had eyes of dark jade to accentuate his dark auburn hair. But while they did not look similar, they shared one thing, a very sensitive pride.

The Happy Mask Salesman turned back to Zelda and spoke calmly, with almost the same warmth as somebody inviting a beloved family friend into his or her home, "Tell me, child, are you as stupid as you look?"

Obviously his demeanor underlay his bitter words.

Even knowing that she possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda's pride had been shot before it had even come up to the surface.

King Luther Hyrule's face turned red, "I understand that treating a guest with respect is necessary," he said grimly. The King walked up to the Happy Mask Salesman and lifted him up by the collar of his robe, "But if you insult my daughter again, I'll be certain to make sure that your death is full of extended suffering."

"My, my, such hollow words coming from the leader of this land. Tell me, how could you possibly pose a threat to me?"

King Luther smirked. He straightened his left arm and snapped his fingers, "Katachi, show yourself."

Zelda froze.

A shroud of dark grey smoke materialized directly above the floor. Within moments, it was sucked into the hand of a man whose face was shrouded by a mask of black bandages.

His entire suit gave off a dark shimmer, a material created for blending in within his surroundings. Waving his hand over his body, a dark crimson symbol painted itself upon his uniform, revealing an eye with three bold lashes and a large tear hanging just below the iris. He looked at the King, looked at the Happy Mask Salesman and withdrew several kunai, "Upon your orders, sire."

The Happy Mask Salesman chuckled, "Ah, so you have one of them here to assist you. You underestimate just how much-"

The Mask Salesman's eyes drifted to the assassin's other hand. Within his grasp he held something that made his face turn blue. He began to sweat violently from fear and his slanted eyes expressed nothing but fright.

The King's mere smirk became a truly demented smile.

The Happy Mask Salesman fell to the floor as King Luther Hyrule released his grip. Anxiously, the salesman reached into his robe pocket and wiped his face with a small cloth, "V-very well, sire. What is it that you need of me?"

"Tell me, what be true of these rumors of the growing influence of the Evil King Ganondorf?"

Zelda almost swore she felt her heart stop. Peering into that man's eyes was as intimidating as coming face to face with death itself.

But even with such a dire threat within existence, nothing frightened her nearly as much as her father's subordinate. She glanced upon him from the corner of her eye, then lowered her gaze to the object he wielded within his grasp.

Even the legends that told of the item's capabilities failed incredibly at accurately describing its capacities of daunting horrors.

Zelda could not will herself to look upon it any further, and allowed her gaze to drift upwards. Her eyes met with that of Katachi, whose blood red irises almost made her shiver. He may have been her father's most trusted servant, but his presence was enough to make even the strongest and bravest of knights quiver in fear.

"Your highness?" he asked the princess, his chilling voice penetrating the air and creating frosting haze from his breath, despite the warmth of the hall.

Zelda quickly turned away and glanced out the window. Staring in the face of the "Servant of Death" did not gift one a comforting sensation.

"Well, he's been flexing his power upon citizens of other continents outside of Hyrule." The Happy Mask Salesman continued.

"**Outside** of Hyrule? What kind of fool do you assume me?"

The Mask Salesman muttered something underneath his breath, "Actually, your highness-"

"There exist several continents outside of-"

"I know that, Katachi!" the King yelled, profoundly irritated by the assumptions of his ignorance, "But how could Ganondorf reach them? The only ways off are through the harbor of Hyrule port, across the desert or through the woods of the Kokiri forest, which we all know are cursed. Any who steps foot within the woods is doomed to become lost forever. Moving through the raging sands of the Gerudo desert is suicide, and I'll be damned if Ganondorf managed to escape through Hyrule underneath **my** authority!"

The Happy Mask Salesman chuckled. Katachi lifted the object within his hands. The mask salesman instantly quieted himself.

"Tell me, how in hell could he have contacted other lands? He either went through the desert or flew over the stone walls that protect us from natural disaster."

"Sir, you forget that he was born in the desert. As a Gerudo, he must be quite adept-"

"Katachi, when I require your knowledge, you shall give it when I inquire for it!"

Katachi slowly walked backwards, "Yes, sire."

Luther Hyrule folded his arms and took deep breaths, "So, the lost woods and the port are out of the question. If he could make contact through telepathy, pass through the desert or fly over the barriers, then he'd be able to make contact. But still, we're currently in no condition to challenge him."

He turned to his servant, "Katachi, order the guard to begin draft, we have a dire situation on our hands."

Katachi bowed and swung an arm across his chest, "Yes, sir." And with that Katachi was gone before the flash from his Deku nut faded.

"Very well," King Luther spoke as he lowered his interrogee to the floor, "That's all for now." He snapped the fingers upon his right hand. The doors burst open.

"Impa, take the princess to her quarters and grant our guest a room of his own."

Impa nodded. Several guards poured in from behind her and surrounded Zelda and the Happy Mask Salesman. Zelda, quite familiar to the procedure, sighed and moved along. The salesman simply nodded and continued to walk.

_Someday_, he told himself, _I will obtain that power…_

…

"Who could've done this?" Saria grimly pondered aloud, her voice shaken and her words broken as she looked upon Link's tree house. The rope ladder had been severed and several markings covered the doorway and had destroyed Link's childhood memories sketched into the trunk of the tree.

A few of the Kokiri children had fashioned a bridge to Link's deck and gone inside to investigate. What Saria saw frightened her even more.

All of Link's belongings had been smashed apart or carved through. His bed had been torn to shreds, glass from picture frames littered the floor and trunks and chests had had their locks splintered apart.

"But it doesn't seem like anything is missing…" one of the Know-It-All brothers pondered aloud.

"What? How can you be sure?" Saria asked.

"You know how we all like to ask Link to show us the things he's seen on his travels?"

"Yep, and you're sure that everything he's shown you is here?" Saria questioned anxiously.

"That's right." That was just the problem. The Know-It-All brothers were **always** right. That meant only one thing.

A look of pure horror arose upon Saria's face. Before anybody could ask what was wrong, she spun around and darted out the door.

She would have teleported, but she could only do so once an hour, so she picked up her speed and sprinted through the entrance to the Lost Woods.

"Hey, look, it's Saria!"

Saria ignored the voices.

"Hey, Saria, what's the rush?" A light suddenly began to glow in Saria's head.

"Hey, skullkid, I need your help!" Saria said loudly, hoping her voice could reach him.

A small, scarecrow-like creature jumped down from the bushes overhead.

Skullchildren were souls who had been lost within the woods. Unlike stalfos, however, they did not come from normal humans, but from lost Kokiri, specifically.

They wore dull orange hats of straw and clothes of a similar fashion. Their boots were produced from other foliage. Their faces, however, were entirely black with the exception of their orange eyes and short beaks. There were often friendly to the Kokiri, but they would attack anybody else by reflex by shooting poisonous darts from their flutes.

A skullkid with no name in particular rose from his position and saluted, "Yes, miss Saria?"

"I need to get back up the sacred forest meadow right away, but I can't teleport right now, could you be my escort?"

The skullkid tapped his foot, crossed his arms and flashed a taunting grin, "Oh, I don't know…I'll only do it if you promise to play with us later! You have to bring your Ocarina because we wanted to have a concert."

"Of course, but only if you help me first."

Skullkid straightened his body, raised his neck and saluted crisply, "Yes ma'am."

Saria smiled as she ran after him.

Several minutes later, the two ran into the gate of the meadow and walked towards the gate.

Saria was about to walk through when skullkid threw his arm out in front of her.

"Wait, it's dangerous." Looking through his surroundings, he found a half-snapped Deku stick and threw it into the meadow's labyrinth.

A savage barrage of non-explosive Deku nuts splintered it to mere shreds before it could even touch the ground.

"Just as I thought, Mad Deku scrubs," skullkid muttered, walking over to a small patch of grass and waving his hand over it.

Skullchildren were unsurprisingly connected with nature. In seconds, he fashioned a shield of leaves and raised it in front of himself.

"Wait here, then come after me."

"But how will I know that you're safe?'

Skullkid smiled, "Just count to sixty, then run in after, you remember the way, right?"

Saria nodded. Skullkid sprinted in and hooked right.

Saria waited for a full minute, and then cautiously made her way into the maze. She didn't see anything hostile, but she moved slowly, just in case.

"It's okay, you can run now!"

Saria recognized his voice and broke into a run, turning corners sharply and occasionally wading through water.

When she reached the staircase leading to her usual spot, Saria saw skullkid talking with one of the Deku scrubs.

He looked up at her, "It's okay, I made a deal with them."

Saria breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just remember to bring that ocarina of yours!" Skullkid said to her as he headed down the stairs, climbed up to the tops of the walls of the maze and hopped away as Saria waved goodbye in thanks.

She couldn't relax yet, however. Saria turned around and sprinted up the remaining steps to the demolished stairs leading to the Forest Temple.

Underneath these ruins lay a small symbol, a golden square with rounded edges that contained a symbol of Hyrule's greatest treasure, the Triforce. This symbol was that of a large golden triangle, split into four equally sized triangles, but only the three on the outside were actually significant, the hollow space between the golden shapes served only to show the viewer that the Triforce was exactly what it was, three pieces of power.

Withdrawing her ocarina, Saria searched her memory and found exactly what she was looking for.

She hit only six notes, then started over and continued with the rest of the song.

This song was known as Zelda's lullaby. Link had learned this melody long ago by princess Zelda's caretaker, Impa. It was a soothing melody that had been passed down through the royal family for generations, and it was this song that was used as proof of authenticity when Link needed to enter sealed areas or present messages from royalty.

Link had brought home a treasure one day that he felt was so dangerous that it needed to be sealed away deep within the shrine where nobody could ever reach it.

But so infinite was the object's power that it needed to be locked away with even safer keeping. Link had asked Impa for a seal of his own. Granting him a scroll of the marking, she had told him to stand in front of the place that needed to be sealed, stand atop the scroll and play the royal family's song.

Saria watched the door sink into the ground, revealing a long staircase. As soon as she reached the bottom, she waved her hand over the lock, heard it click and tugged down upon it.

Holding her breath, she removed the bar and opened the chest. What she saw filled her with horror.

The most ferocious thing she had ever seen was gone.

…

"Sir?"

Kyou Gekido poked his head through the doorway of Kage Ochisuita's room as he sat at his desk, tinkering with several plastic parts, apparently attempting to create something.

"What?" he asked bluntly.

"I have what you wanted." Kage immediately dropped the bundle of pieces in his hand and pushed himself out of his chair.

"Give it." Kyou placed the small package within Kage's hands. Kage immediately tossed it upon his bed and went back to work.

"Sir, why did you just-?"

"In its current state, it's fairly worthless. It requires special properties to activate its potential."

"Like what?"

"That's none of your business," Kage said coldly as he inserted a small black peg into a long bar-like frame.

"…"

Kage continued to fidget with his parts as Kyou Gekido stood his ground. Kage ignored him.

"Sir…?" Kage slammed his pieces and fist upon the surface of the desk.

"What is it that you want?" he demanded, raising his deep voice but only a level of a whisper. One did not require a jump in volume in order to comprehend Kage's level of agitation.

"…I need your help."

Kage relaxed his shoulders and exhaled deeply, "Speak."

"There's…this girl…"

Kage glared at him, "You're actually bothering me with trash of a question like this? You don't need to bother yourself with such trivial matters, you should be focused upon strengthening yourself, not chasing the girl you imagine to be the one of your dreams as she manipulates your blind, frail body into serving her very whim."

"Quite the misanthrope today, aren't we?" Kyou immediately realized the mistake within his remark and flinched, preparing to be struck upside the head at any moment.

When it did not come, he looked back up to see Kage tossing a ball up into the air. When it came back to his hand, he threw it back up.

"Think of dating like throwing this ball."

Kyou raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"Simple. When you throw the ball up into the air, it comes back down to you. If you continuously pretend uninterested towards a woman that you know…" He said, tossing the ball again, "…then she feels a little something called 'attraction' towards you," he said as the ball returned to his hand.

"However, if you wait on her hand on foot, she becomes bored, and sees you as desperate and pathetic," he spoke as he threw the ball into the air again, and this time allowed it to hit the floor, "thus, she chooses to stay far away from you."

Kyou stared at the ball. Kage picked it up, "But if you keep it interesting by being cocky, funny and witty," he said as he tossed the ball over his head, catching it in his left hand, twirling it upon his finger, dropping it to his foot and kicking it into the air, "Then it triggers that thing we call 'attraction', got it?" he asked as the ball bounced off of the top of his head and landed perfectly within his hand.

Kyou waited a few moments and nodded.

Kage looked at him, then glanced at his clothes. "Did you find it unnecessary to kill the boar before you cut open its carcass and fed upon its entrails whilst entirely ignoring its spurting blood upon you before you cooked it? Because your clothes smell worse than your breath," he taunted bitterly, promptly pitching his toy directly at Kyou's face, hitting him directly between the eyes.

Kyou turned around and stomped away.

Kage twirled around his chair and placed his legs upon the tabletop. "Idiot," he muttered.

To one weak in powers of observation, it would appear as if Kage had merely rested down to take a nap.

'Twas not the case as Kage listened attentively to the footsteps of his underling. When the echoing patter of Kyou's shoes had died away, Kage promptly righted himself, slammed the door shut and picked up the small package that lay upon his bed.

"At last," he said quietly to himself, "One of the most ferocious things this land has to offer is within my grasp. And as Kyou seems entirely impervious to the fact that I already have exactly what it is that's needed to unlock its true potential."

_To think, that it's not even something physical. I can't believe that the scholars never even figured out how to make this thing work. Weak minded fools._

_**Well then, I guess we'll just have to test its capabilities.**_

_Go away, can't you tell that I'm busy gloating to myself?_

_**Whenever you're ready…so am I…**_

_Beat it._

_**Whatever, wherever, whenever…**_

Ignoring the thoughts that agitated his mind, Kage looked upon his new possession. His gleaming, malicious smile combined with the clam, arrogant eyes was enough to instill fear into anybody.

Following was laughter so menacing that it chilled the Gods to their cores.

…

Ganondorf was within his throne room, muttering something to himself as he crawled along the floor, searching under tables and rugs when Dark Link made itself visible.

"…Sir…what are you doing?"

"Blast it! I just had it a moment ago!" Ganondorf muttered, panicking as his search yielded anything but positive results.

"Um…"

"Majora's Mask has fleeted my grasp!" he exclaimed, looking up to a shocked Dark Link.

Without a moment's hesitation, Dark Link lowered itself to the floor and began searching around frantically.

Losing something so valuable would be the death of its master, and the destruction of Dark Link itself.

…

Link looked upon the tree as he awoke from his slumber and promptly etched another dash into the bark.

Due to a lack of a rotating star to indicate time, Link marked his progress by adding to the count every time he arose from his post training sleep. Hoping that his "test" would end before he went insane, Link had made this record to be sure that he would know how much he had managed to miss within the last few seconds.

Raising his sword and taking another deep breath, Link continued to swing his weapon, making sure that he placed enough strength into the slash that it could penetrate rock. The grass simply swayed away as his weapon touched the ground, as it had been prone to do. Leaving the mysteries to later, Link had learned to ignore the fascinating properties of the plants within the meadow and focus solely on his training.

After several hours of this, Link dropped his weapon to the ground and collapsed from exhaustion. A cup of tea materialized itself next to him almost automatically. Grateful that his opponent and trainer had been considerate enough to allow him to live, Link took the cup, sipped deeply and allowed the warmth to course through his body.

It was enough to make him temporarily forget his troubles and soothe his weary soul.

* * *

I know that the scene with Hitoshirezu seems out of place, but trust me, the person he's based on is **completely** obsessed with Star Wars.

Next time's a dungeon chapter, lots of action and a thinking person's game.


	10. Turmoil

Took me three days to get this started and five hours of brainstorming to have this idea pop into my head, but I must say that I'm rather proud of what I came up with. It makes me happy to look upon my writing and think that I've come up with something innovative, if not entirely original. Although it does bother me that it took so long to finish. Blasted writer's blocks and Disgaea hunting (Geez, I have to pay $60 for it **used?**) This means that I might not get a new chapter up within the next week or two, but it'll come if you're patient.

Due to the fact that there are more negatives than positives within the hassle, I decided to leave the chapters as they are. It would have made plot twists far easier, but then the reviews would have been out of place and coming up with chapter titles is far more difficult than it actually seems. Besides, later twists will **really** throw you over.

My keyboard has been on the fritz lately; a few of the buttons refuse to respond on occasion as the stubborn bastards they are. Until I get a new one, this problem may or may not mildly hamper the progress of this story. I just felt the urge to vent, especially because it took almost nine button presses just to type the letter "j".

**IMPORTANT: ANY REVIEWS THAT MAKE A DIRECT REFERENCE TO ANY POINTS WITHIN THE STORY THAT COULD POSSIBLY RUIN THE PLOT FOR ANYBODY ELSE WILL HAVE THEIR REVIEWS BLOCKED AND/OR DELETED**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Legend of Zelda. Last night, I took a cold shower to cool off the rage that came from reality's slap to my face. Half of the prior statement is true, I took a cold shower merely because I could.

* * *

Chapter IX: Turmoil

Link awoke from his slumber yet again and rose to record his extent of imprisonment. This time, however, the tree no longer stood.

Link allowed his eyes to wander, searching for some kind of explanation for the missing growth. Finding none, he looked down upon the stump to discover some sort of hole etched into it. It was wide enough to fit a person standing upright. Rather than wait for the forces above to decide his fate, Link picked up his weapon and jumped in feet first.

It was quite a long descent, and Link had plenty of time to ponder and consider the consequences and counters of those effects of his decision, mainly how he was going to prevent his body from splattering across the floor when he reached the bottom of his drop.

Link's wonder was answered when his fall slowed to a stop, his feet just barely tapping the stone when the invisible harness that had saved his life collapsed, sending Link the floor in a crumpled heap.

Groaning in agitation, Link stood up and rubbed his tailbone, shook his head and sighed. He observed his surroundings and glanced around. He saw absolutely nothing within his vicinity, but he could hear a faint ringing slowly growing louder around him. The sound was unfamiliar, and yet he could still see nothing.

"Tell me, do you have your answer?"

Link spun around and withdrew his weapon faster than any normal person could blink.

"Relax and tell me."

Link shook his head and shrugged, "Honestly, I still haven't figured it out. Why are you teaching me these things?"

Kyou Gekido closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, "Our organization is known as shi, meaning death. It is a common misconception that our purpose is to bring death to those surrounding us."

"Doesn't seem like that would really be that inaccurate."

Kyou Gekido held up his hand, signaling Link to cease his speaking.

"Our goal is our name. We test these possibilities by finding the strongest and bravest of them all, those whose names cannot be spoken without the turning of every head in a crowd. We test these individuals, and if they succeed, they join our cause."

"Then why is it that so many people have died at your hands?" Link demanded, rage boiling within his heart.

"Those who wish to confront death head on are the ones who become warriors in the first place. If they are not prepared to face such an outcome, then they have taken the wrong path. Those who have what it takes are tested extensively. Currently, we've only had sixteen go through the process."

"And how many have passed?"

"I'll tell you that it's less than five."

Link raised his voice, "And how many have **failed**?"

Kyou Gekido, "We like to keep things simple. Going over the millions is something we prefer not to do."

Link was silent. How many dreams had died? How many families had been destroyed? How many memories had been lost?

In anger, Link raised his weapon and charged forward. In a lightning-quick reaction, Kyou Gekido waved his hand through the air, knocking the weapon from Link's hands and sending him to the floor along with it.

"I did not expect you to understand, but things will remain the way they are. And you are one of the few with potential."

Link stood up and snorted, "What is your real purpose?"

"In time…are you ready?"

"Ready for what, death?"

"Relax, it's your second task."

Link sheathed his katana and locked eyes with Kyou Gekido.

"Tell me," Link spoke, "what's next?"

Kyou crossed his arms, "Close your eyes, you'll need to relax as much as possible."

"Why's that?" he demanded, clenching his fists.

"Now it's your turn to tell me," Kyou Gekido said coolly, "have you ever heard of something called culture shock?"

Link shook his head.

Kyou Gekido walked up to him and placed his palm over Link's eyes.

"Then this is going to be tough for you…"

Link instantly felt an immense pain within his head. He sank to the ground, squeezing his eyes shut and clutching his head, applying a great deal of pressure to counteract the overwhelming ache.

The sounds that flooded the nerves within his ears and head brought Link such a deal of pain that he could not force himself to stand straight.

Straining himself to open his eyes, Link was startled by what he saw. Releasing the clenching of his teeth and looking up, Link realized that he stood somewhere he had never seen before.

Link was positioned within the center of a decorative fountain. People walked to a fro all around him, seemingly speaking to themselves with small black objects hanging from their ears down to just in front of their mouths. They dressed in strange jet black fabrics and wore shining shoes, carried great deals of luggage and moved at a pace that made Link's head spin.

Large metal objects sped past the people, carrying more people who looked to be far too preoccupied to even notice a change in the weather. They moved so fast that Link's eyes widened.

These people weaved around everything, going in and out of and around buildings that ranged from single floors to those that seemed to scrape the sky. Multi-colored signs and pictures flooded his vision and left Link disoriented.

The skylight was filled with a dull orange glow that came from nowhere in particular, this nauseating shade eventually shifting to a starless midnight, moving on to a austere grayish-blue of daylight, and the process repeated itself indefinitely and hastily, as if time had simply lost its patience.

**_Feeling it yet?_**

Link looked around. He saw that nobody had stopped to speak to him. Cautiously, he stood up and followed his instinct, drawing his weapon and preparing himself for an attack.

**_Chill, your trial has yet to begin._**

Finally realizing where the sound came from, things around him seemed to slow to a stop as he listened to the messages that his mind received.

**_You know who this is, and I'm here to give you your assignment._**

Link closed his eyes, _Yep, what is it?_

_**Obviously, you have no idea where you are, and I'm not here to explain. But your task is simple: you will just have to find me within this jungle of metal and flesh.**_

_But where am I supposed to start? This place is huge!_

_**Look up.**_

Link opened his eyes to see a bright blue beam jutting from far in the distance and reaching far beyond the sky as if willing to touch the heavens.

_You're joking, right? I thought this was supposed to be difficult._

_**Have you already forgotten your situation?**_

The noises came back as time returned to its normal speed.

Link heard a faint whisper within the back of his mind; **_You might want to put away your weapon…_**

As time resumed itself, the sound surrounding Link lowered, Link looked around to see several people staring at him in fear.

"Officer, he's in possession of a weapon!"

"Get away from that maniac!"

"He must be the one who caused that huge burst of energy."

It took a large squad of authoritative officers who rushed towards Link's position to realize that the people nearby were talking about him.

Turning around, Link hopped from the fountain and broke into a sprint. As he ran onto the darker colored ground and ran for his life, he heard a loud honking to his side. One of the large metal objects came at him, its wheels screeching against the surface. Link withdrew his weapon and cleanly sliced the vehicle in half straight down the center. The man inside jumped out and ran away.

Just then, a smaller, red vehicle sped in out of nowhere faster than a speeding Epona and struck Link against his side with about five times as much impact as being tackled by a fully equipped Hylian soldier in fifty-pound armor.

Link felt his ribs shatter as his body fell to ground in a crushed pile. The machine simply pulled away and moved around him, leaving him in the middle of a death zone.

Grimacing from the pain, Link knew that he couldn't stop, regardless of the discomfort. Finding understanding in the thought that getting beaten unconscious by a group of law enforcing citizens, Link sucked up his irritation and ran away.

Each sharp breath brought powerful jolts of pain into his lungs, but Link kept telling himself that it was nothing compared to what would happen if he was caught.

**_Geez, not many people can survive, no less stand after being pulverized by a car. Those things weigh at least half a ton._**

Link ignored Kyou's comments and ran for his life. Realizing that he wasn't going to get anywhere just by running, Link looked around desperately for some mode of transportation. A burly man in a sleek, hoodless red car slowed to a stop as Link reached the corner of the block. He ran up to him and pleaded.

"Can you help me? I seriously need a-"

"Dammit, dude. Get your hands off my ride!" Link withdrew his hands. The man floored it and sped off.

Link swore underneath his breath and waited for another car to pull by. A plain looking man stopped his vehicle by the crosswalk and honked loudly, signaling Link to get out of the way. Frantic, Link ran up the driver's side and begged the man to give him a ride. The man pulled a cup from the side of his seat and splashed it in Link's face. Link clutched himself and urged the burning to subside as the man drove away.

Swearing rather loudly this time, Link dove around the corner and watched as several officers stormed past his position. Searching around, Link saw a staircase directly behind him.

Choosing not to question this turn of events, Link darted upwards and ran as fast as he could, not allowing his opponents the chance at his capture. Figuring that he could simply hop from rooftop to rooftop towards his destination, he thought that unless his pursuers had access to air travel, he was fine.

Bad assumptions put Link in quite an awkward situation.

As he hit the rooftops, Link looked downwards to see himself hundreds of feet above the ground. Taking a gulp and ignoring the consequences of him missing his step, Link ran forwards and leapt from the rooftop to another, somersaulting as his body hit the cement to absorb the momentum.

Regaining his posture, Link looked upwards to see the beacon of his destination shining as brightly as it had before.

**_This is where it gets tough._**

Before Link could ask his instructor exactly what he meant, he felt the familiar sense of chaos within his mind as he heard the return of unfamiliar sounds. Something that sounded similar to a pitter-patter of rain against glass, Link was very disappointed to see a large black machine flying above his position. A man poked his head from the seat and aimed something at Link, something that Link had no intention of discovering the purpose of.

Rolling away and diving from the rooftop, Link heard a loud sound of blazing fire, followed by a sharp, high pitched ringing that made him cringe. He tried to tune it out, but couldn't overcome the pain within his mind and completely missed his target, his hand slipping from the edge of the cold metal, plummeting to the ground below.

…

"Indulge me, how's his progress?"

"Honestly, I'm surprised his mind has yet to crack from the pressure."

"Do what it takes, and take note of how he overcomes his handicap, if he happens to do so at all."

"Should I-?"

"Nope, this is a test, and a test is something where the pupil needs to use his prior knowledge to discover the solution to the situation at hand, and hopefully learn something important in the process."

"Yes, sir," Kyou Gekido spoke coldly.

…

He didn't know how he'd done it, but Link understood that he had crashed through a pane of glass into somebody's workspace, quite suddenly by his observation, and of course implied by the woman in the business suit's screaming in pure shock.

Wiping the dust from his tunic and searching frantically for the nearest exit, Link spotted a glowing green sign that pointed him directly where he wanted to go. Leaving his curiosity of how lights could be green like that for later, he sped up the stairs, ignoring the shouts of turmoil and the blaring alarm overhead.

They still pounded against his nerves, but Link kept telling himself that being in pain was a reminder that one was still alive. At least that gave him a dash of comfort.

As he reached the peak of his ascent, Link burst through the door to the rooftop. Instantly spotting his target point, he ran and made a jump for another building.

As if the Gods were toying with him, an entire squadron of at least ten of the blaring jet-black flying machines surrounded him and emitted a high pitched wail that again threw Link off his balance.

Struggling to counteract this flaw, Link righted himself within the air and jammed the tip of his blade into the brick wall that sped past him at a hundred miles an hour. Hoping that it would slow him enough, his hope was shattered when his predators swerved in from around the corner of the structure. Acting as quickly as possible, Link withdrew his weapon from the wall and leapt across the ten-foot gap to the other building, hoping to crash through something that might just save his life.

Once again, he was disappointed to see his chances fall. Acting instinctively, Link planted his feet against the wall and again rammed his weapon into the surface to slow his fall. The weapon's use increased two-fold as one of Link's chasers caught up to him and opened fire. Using his weapon to block the incoming projectiles, Link's blade moved at a blinding pace in order to protect its wielder, seemingly moving upon its own will.

Looking around frantically for some kind of method of escape, Link kicked himself through a nearby window and ran for cover from the incoming gunfire, weapons blazing louder than fireworks.

As the chaos surrounding him grew louder and stronger, so did the pain within his mind. Link could barely focus as glass and fire rained around him. It was far too much to handle, even seeing such advanced technological creations were enough to send his mind far over the edge of stability.

Link couldn't think anymore, his mind had completely lost its ability to rationalize, his body simply moved on its own. When Link willed it to move somewhere else, it reacted accordingly, this primary function being the only one that his brain was currently capable of processing.

Urging himself forwards, Link's legs hopped across the burning sea of shattered sand and ran right through a window across the other side of the building. Leaping from the windowsill and reaching for a handhold along the side of another structure, Link's fingers tensed themselves as they strained to support Link's bodyweight from plummeting to the earth below.

They retracted, moving in unison with his arms to reach for a higher point, hoping to ascend to the top and find another way out of his entire mess.

As his body pulled itself up onto the roof, Link's brain finally started itself back up, along with the throbbing pain he had grown to recognize within the last few minutes.

Rather than allow this to disorient his mind again, Link drowned it out by quietly humming to himself, playing Saria's song through his head again and again, filled with hope that its soothing melody would be enough to keep the delirium at bay.

As he realized that his predators were once again gaining on him, Link knew that he'd have no choice but to do something unpredictable.

Link ran to the edge of the building and leapt, but this time he knew what he was doing, and hoped that his opponents did not.

He jumped up into the air as high as possible, almost an inhuman distance of ten feet. As soon as gravity cancelled his height, Link reached for one of the machine's propeller and grabbed the end of it, hanging on as if the fate of the universe were dependant upon the grip of a fourteen year old struggling against centrifugal force. When he felt the time was right, Link let go and sailed over the city.

**_Link…_**

Link's reactions snapped at the message. It was no longer unusual for him to hear voices within his head. What confused him was that it was the gentle voice of a woman.

**_Can't recognize me, can you?_**

_Nope, who is this?_

Much to his surprise, he heard his communicator giggle.

**_Link, I do believe that you've met my sister, and that you're already quite an adept with a few of my spells. I didn't even think of the quickness spell until I was thirteen, and I had had many years of practice than you have. I must say that I'm a bit impressed._**

Link's face expressed one of pure shock, _Farore?_

_**Bingo.**_

_But why are you speaking to me? As much as I appreciate the praise, I'm in a little bit of a predicament right now._

_**Exactly, close your eyes.**_

Link did as he was told, his body still soaring hundreds of feet above the Earth.

**_Now, think hard about what would be the most practical way to get out of this situation if you were me._**

…

"Sir?" Hebi Suterusu spoke nervously, kicking the sole of her shoe against the floor.

"What do you want?"

"One of those crystals that I took from that kid is gone…"

"What do you mean it's **gone**? You were supposed to be watching it."

"That's just it, the thing simply vanished while I was staring at it."

Kage chuckled, "Heh, this kid gets more interesting every time somebody tells me something about him."

…

Link plummeted towards the ground in a dive, knowing well enough that it was the last thing that his opponents would expect.

Looking into his palm, he clutched the gem of Farore's wind and smiled.

Just before he hit the Earth, magnificent bright green wings extended from the back of his tunic, making Link take a sharp turn upwards. His weapon gained its own jade glow as well.

**_You have your power, use it wisely…_**

As he ascended towards the sky, dark luminous clouds moved in and unleashed a heavy rain. The droplets of water simply bounced from Link's shoulders and fell back towards the Earth unhindered.

As he used the resistance in the air to bring himself to a halt, Link spun around and swung his weapon downwards, preparing for anything that might come his way. A bright emerald crescent emerged from the tip and shot downwards, cleaving the pavement in two.

A bit startled by his new ability, Link looked around nervously, hoping that he hadn't injured anybody in the process. A lone bystander stood in shock as his briefcase had been cut in two. He looked upwards and unsurprisingly mistook Link for a green angel with anger issues. After a few moments of staring in awe, he turned around and darted into a nearby building in cowardice.

Although nobody had been harmed, his predators had certainly been alerted and sped up to him, each of the ten machines opening fire towards his position.

Link curved his wings inwards, the bullets bouncing off of the bright emerald feathers.

He leaned back and fell again, drawing his opponents' attacks. Right before he came near the asphalt, He spun forwards and righted himself, leaped high into the air with a blinding amount of speed, cleanly sliced the machines in half.

Flipping backwards this time, Link swung his blade horizontally, a beam of intense energy taking down two more machines.

The remaining six pulled out several larger projectile weapons, each firing at least five clusters. Link raised his organic shields again and felt an unfamiliar sense of pain shoot through his wings and down into his spine as the missiles exploded against them, sending him reeling backwards into the air.

Shaking it off and righting himself again, Link charged straight between the two that hovered immediately in front of him and sideways, looking behind him to make sure that his chasers. were having trouble keeping up.

This time, they turned around rather quickly and fired another barrage. Cursing, Link faced forward and flew as quickly as he could. As he heard the missiles whistling dangerously close to his ear, he banked right and flew back, hoping to escape the projectiles.

Unexpected to him, the missiles turned around as well, tracing his path with exhaust. Alarmed, Link passed between the same predators that had fired the weapons and was relieved to hear a booming explosion fall behind him as he rocketed upwards. The machines could move decently enough laterally, but vertical climbing might be difficult for them. Or so Link hoped.

_Only four more…_

Link suddenly realized what he had just done, stopped and shot downwards towards the Earth, completely passing the remaining metal birds and moving close enough so that he could see the ground with a decent view. Relieved to see human activity near the piles of smoldering wreckage, Link touched down just enough to change direction and shot forwards, his speed piercing the air and emitting a powerful sonic boom that shook the Earth to its core.

Seeing his target in closing in quickly, Link retracted his methods of flight and lightly touched the ground, his wings disappearing with a gentle pop as he stood up. Carefully, he stepped forwards and reached out towards the beam of light that stabbed through the dark, heavy clouds.

The moment he touched it, it dissipated and time seemed to stop.

"Looks like you hit the finish line."

Link shook his head, "Why do you keep testing me? I'm sure that you're aware that I'm not going to be joining your organization. I have a job to do that doesn't concern your team's petty goals."

Kyou Gekido said nothing.

"Well?"

Kyou snapped his fingers, "In time."

Link looked around in wonder as time resumed itself and sped to infinitely quick proportions, throwing his mind off balance. People moved almost ten times as fast as they had before. The intensity of the booming noises increased exponentially. The sun and moon rose and fell so fast that it seemed they were passing over one another.

"My mistake, **this** is where it gets tough."


	11. Mentality

A few weeks ago, I would have cried had I not been laughing so much when I realized that Ochisuita actually had another "t" in it (It's spelled Ochi**t**suita). Now I get to go back and correct my stupidity, **again**.

Anyways, last update of the year. I won't be able to get the next chapter up until February at the least, but I've got something big in store, which one of you already knows a little about.

Anyways, that's the last of it for now. Merry Miscellaneous Holiday that you celebrate during the wintertime. In this house, I believe it to be something known as Christmas.

Also, since I should have done this in November:

**Biggoron**: Thanks for being the first reviewer, reviewing such on a regular basis and giving me tips on the technical stuff. One of these days I'll return the gracefulness respectively by getting around to reading whatever magnificence you've got up there.

**Stewey**: Thanks for being a constant reviewer, giving me inspiration at times when appreciated and for being just a good person all around. Rendan will ride again in the future. Just the future. Can't say much else.

**Cho 17**: Thanks for being supportive, helping with the critique on the summary and all that and whatnot. Also, my cat can still kick your cat's rear. :)

**My Parents**: For giving me the **good** genes and for actually finding each other relatively attractive long enough to give me a somewhat unscarred childhood. That's about it.

**Narek:** For being a good friend and a complete asshole. It's good to know that there are people with a decent level of intelligence in my immediate area and that I can still hit people without getting reprimanded by authority.

**Will: **For being smart, being a walking dictionary, assisting with ideas and making me look infinitely better in comparison. Again, thanks for being a good punching bag. No thanks for getting me in trouble with hell incarnate, known as the principal's secretary.

**Brianna:** For actually giving me something to do, distracting me away from video games by being somewhat attractive and for being a good friend when I stopped being attracted to you. Also, thanks a bunch for helping me realize why I was such a freakin' WUSS and subconsciously showing me how to get the HOTTEST girl in school to be something between a girlfriend and a slave to me in somewhere between twelve seconds and fifteen minutes. My plan shall execute in 2007 when I can actually find her without being a stalker. (Malicious laughter).

And with that, I bid you good day.

**IMPORTANT: ANY REVIEWS THAT MAKE A DIRECT REFERENCE TO ANY POINTS WITHIN THE STORY THAT COULD POSSIBLY RUIN THE PLOT FOR ANYBODY ELSE WILL HAVE THEIR REVIEWS BLOCKED AND/OR DELETED.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda. Thus, the figments of my imagination have banned together to overtake Nintendo. Force will be necessary. We attack the fort at dawn.

* * *

Chapter X: Mentality

"Watch carefully," Kyou waved his hand over the ground.

Dozens of glowing blue and black squares instantly covered the area in a checkerboard pattern.

"I'm sure you've never seen something like this before have you?"

Link shook his head and stared in awe as the environment shifted underneath his feet, the plate he stood upon descending sharply as the one that supported Kyou shot towards the sky.

"This is a mind game. You'll need to use your wits and your mind as well as your body to get out of this one."

Link looked up at him, confused, "Isn't that how fighting normally works?"

Kyou sighed, "Allow me to explain the mechanics."

Link immediately lost his focus as the rushing sounds behind him pierced though his concentration.

Kyou threw a small rock at Link's head with an unnecessary amount of force, knocking him over.

"Ow! What the hell was that?"

"Do you still not see what capabilities you've been gifted?"

Link's anger turned to awe as he watched several miniscule powerfully condensed packs of Earth instantly materialize from nowhere in Kyou's hand.

"You follow the path of the warrior."

Link snarled, "How long did it take you to realize that and tell me something that I already knew?"

Kyou remained unfazed by the bitter comment, "Warriors, such as yourself, are quick to anger, slow in the mind and generally unintelligent."

Link frowned and spat into the dirt.

"And sarcasm in your sense is the weakest form of wit."

Link clenched his teeth.

"Look around you, figure out what you must do to succeed, I'll give you ten minutes."

Link stood up and observed his opponent. Kyou simply sat down upon his position and meditated.

Seeing no reason not to, Link charged forwards and attacked.

Kyou opened his eyes and shot a glare so disturbingly chilling that it literally forced Link to stop his advance in midair.

"I thought that heroes were generally ones of quality integrity."

Link's hands shook as an invisible force knocked him back towards the ground, his body piercing the dense rock.

Clenching his teeth to take his focus off of the pain, Link looked up to see Kyou resuming his meditation.

"Sit back, relax, take a moment to think about your current situation."

Telling himself to calm down, Link took his mentor's advice, laid back, closed his eyes and gave himself the time to think.

…

"That. Was. Amazing."

"What'd I tell you? I'm a prodigy."

"Still, even for a hardened warrior, I'm impressed. This kid, not so much."

Mido stirred from his slumber. As he opened his eyes, the first thought that passed through his mind was to rub away the pain in the back of his neck. The second was finding his partner. The third was finding out who it was that had attacked him.

He managed to answer all three at the same time.

Unfortunately for Mido, he had forgotten to do the thing which he had somehow managed to accomplish moments ago by lunging forwards and attempting to knock out his attacker by bashing in his skull with his own.

Hito sighed and shook his head, "Pitiful."

Mido merely shook himself out of his temporary daze and roared in anger as he attempted to bring harm to the man that had knocked him out a current count of twice.

Hito held him away like a bully does to a shorter kid that cries, screams and throws punches with his target just out of reach.

"Listen up shorty," he said as he flicked Mido's nose with his index finger. He placed the palm of his hand on the top of Mido's head and directed it towards the smoldering remains of the fortress in the distance.

"You see that? I managed to make the entire building go up in flames by myself."

Knowly fluttered next to Hito's ear and chimed in, "In a matter of minutes against impossible odds, I might add."

Mido began screaming like a three year old, "What do you mean you **destroyed** it? I was there looking for something important and it probably went up in **fire**!"

Hito shrugged, "Hey, I was looking for three things myself. I managed to find some information, something that I was looking for, two things I would have liked to avoid-"

Knowly stuck out his tongue, "Thbbbt!"

Hito smiled, "and learned that the last one was somewhere else. There were no fairies to be found.

Mido halted his futile assault and blinked, "How did you know that I was looking for fairies?"

Hito pointed at Knowly, who fluttered in circles, "Your little buddy here told me everything, so I don't have to waste time translating your little quirky dialect with your slang and whatnot."

Mido sighed, then plopped down on the grass and looked towards the midmorning sky, "Dang, now I've got to find another lead."

"Then I might be able to help you there. I'm looking for the same thing."

Mido cocked an orange eyebrow and looked Hito straight in the eye, "How do I know that I can trust you?"

Hito smirked, "You don't. But since I saved your life, you really don't have much of a choice but to help me."

Mido crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, "And if I refuse?"

Hito pulled out his energy blade, kicked a hefty wooden stump into the air and cleanly sliced it in two, then placed the radiating sword right under Mido's nose. It singed a stray strand of stray hair and turned it black.

Mido gulped as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead, "Fine."

"Then I guess if we'll be working together, I might as well tell you who I am."

Hito put away his weapon and stuck out his hand, "Ever heard of a handshake?"

Mido promptly stood up and grasped Hito's open palm, "Mido."

"Hitoshirezu Kokorogake. But Hito's fine."

Mido squeezed his hand tight, shook it once and threw it out of his grip. Hito laughed.

Strong or faulty, help was help and an alliance was an alliance.

…

Kyou Gekido opened his eyes and smirked. Somebody had figured something out.

"You want a fight? I'll give you an army," Link said, smiling as his own squadron of soldiers resided under his command.

Kyou merely waved his hand and a group of equal size all his own appeared on the battlefield, which itself happened to look very much like a forest-themed chessboard.

A small screen materialized itself next to where Link was standing: displaying a list of traits and characteristics:

Team One: Team Hyrule  
Commander: Link  
Units:  
Kent: Male, Paladin: Lv. 30  
Kurt: Male, Archer: Lv. 22  
Marcus: Male, Swordsman: Lv. 47  
Melissa: Female, Archer: Lv. 23  
Jennifer: Female, Thief: Lv. 17  
Alex: Male, Cavalry: Lv. 34  
Katherine: Female, Assassin: Lv. 45  
Zack: Male, Bard: Lv. 31  
Mina: Female, Knight: Lv. 29  
Ashley: Female, Medic: Lv. 15  
Current Morale: 100 percent

Team Two: Generic  
Commander: Kyou Gekido  
Units:  
Officer Rendan: Male, Gunman: Lv. 20  
Seii Karei: Female, Ronin: Lv. 30  
Nick: Male, Teacher: Lv. 50  
Mario: Male, Plumber: Lv. 25  
Judge Cid: Male, Judge: Lv. 34  
Kuaru: Female, Ronin: Lv. 24  
Raspberry: Female, Thief: Lv. 18  
Mr. Kong: Male, Brute: Lv. 27  
Philip: Male, DJ: Lv. 20  
Experiment Cloud: Male, Soldier: Lv. 25  
Current Morale: 100 percent

"Game time."

Link shrugged, "I don't know the rules."

Kyou pressed a button on his screen and surprised Link by pulling a bottle of beer from his pack and downing it.

Looking at his own screen, he saw a decently sized list of instructions as to how exactly he should execute the following battle, Looking over the buttons, he fiddled with them for a few moments and after having an adequate understanding of what each one did, he looked over the instructions again, had a fairly good idea of what he was supposed to do and nodded in Kyou's direction, who smashed the bottle against a nearby tree and threw it towards one of his own units, who simply raised his hand into the air and caught the crude weapon without the slightest bit of effort.

Kyou yawned and pointed in Link's direction, "Your turn."

Link nodded, "Kurt, four spaces forwards and prepare to attack Officer Rendan."

The archer did as he was told, advanced four spaces in the artificial grid and crouched.

"Kent, two spaces forward and attack Nick. Marcus, three left, two up, counterattack position. Melissa, move up to Kurt's right, and prepare for a joint attack on the same target. Alex, two spaces forwards and four spaces right. Ashley, get behind Alex. Mina, joint attack with Kent. Ending turn."

Link pressed a button on his screen and watched his small army do exactly what he had ordered.

His archer Melissa hopped on top of Kurt's head. Kurt, not seeming to mind the tiny amount of added weight raised his bow in unison with hers and aimed towards the sky. Two arrows sailed into the brightness of the artificial sunlight within the illusionary forest of the dome and plummeted to Earth, simultaneously striking Officer Rendan in the skull and dropping him to the ground, the glass bottle rolling from his dead grasp.

Kent and Mina grabbed each other's rather large gauntlets and ran in circles around each other with their blades extended until they gained enough momentum to turn into a raging torrent of steel and platinum. They rushed towards Nick's direction, who merely hopped out of the way and smacked off Kent's helmet with a rather heavy dictionary and chuckled.

Link muttered some inaudible curse and hit the **End Turn** button on his keypad.

Rather than bark out orders, Kyou merely made some touch points on his own display and hit the **Execute** key, and watched in half boredom as his own units proceeded to slaughter those of his pupil's.

Mario, who strangely reminded Link of Talon, kicked up a large green pipe and threw his wooden mallet down the opening. It flew out another green pipe, which startled Link as it knocked him over rising from the ground in front of him and knocked him over. The mallet flew towards his cleric, Ashley, who screamed in pain as it cracked open her skull and sent to the afterlife before her fragile body hit the ground.

Experiment Cloud, a tall, blonde, spiky haired man with a purple getup and an exceptionally oversized sword slammed the edge of his blade into the ground, which cleaved the Earth in three separate sections and sent Kurt, Kent and Mina plummeting into the heat below the soil.

Kent climbed out a few moments later, shook his head and pulled himself out, along with an unconscious knight Mina and an archer that looked like a burnt sugar cookie. Kent sighed and let go of the late archer, placed Mina to the side and collapsed in exhaustion.

The other units on Kyou's team merely smirked where they stood and relaxed.

Kyou ended his turn, pulled out a Rubix cube and began fiddling with it.

Link saw something pop up on his monitor, but he merely ignored it and hit the **Pass** button.

Kyou stood up from where he sat and pointed at Link.

"Is this how you battle? Do you so recklessly throw away soldiers like candy? Do you not take into accounts the terrain, morale, weather, equipment, experience and abilities of your units instead of their mere statistics?"

Link blinked in confusion.

"Quite simply, this is the most pathetic display of showmanship and comprehension that I've ever seen," Kyou said smoothly as he hit the **Finish** button on his screen and made certain that he'd left a lasting impression on anything that had even had a minute thought of having a chance against his wit and ability.

A small alarm sounded next to Link and information popped up on his display:

Team One: Team Hyrule  
Commander: Link  
Units:  
Kent: Male, Paladin: Lv. 30 **Condition Critical**  
Kurt: Male, Archer: Lv. 22 **Dead**  
Marcus: Male, Swordsman: Lv. 47  
Melissa: Female, Archer: Lv. 23  
Jennifer: Female, Thief: Lv. 17  
Alex: Male, Cavalry: Lv. 34  
Katherine: Female, Assassin: Lv. 45  
Zack: Male, Bard: Lv. 31  
Mina: Female, Knight: Lv. 29 **Condition Critical**  
Ashley: Female, Medic: Lv. 15 **Dead**  
Current Morale: 56 percent

Team Two: Generic  
Commander: Kyou Gekido  
Units:  
Officer Rendan: Male, Gunman: Lv. 20 **Dead**  
Seii Karei: Female, Ronin: Lv. 30  
Nick: Male, Teacher: Lv. 50  
Mario: Male, Plumber: Lv. 25  
Judge Cid: Male, Judge: Lv. 34  
Kuaru: Female, Ronin: Lv. 24  
Raspberry: Female, Thief: Lv. 18  
Mr. Kong: Male, Brute: Lv. 27  
Philip: Male, DJ: Lv. 20  
Experiment Cloud: Male, Soldier: Lv. 25  
Current Morale: 100 percent

Something new popped up, two new percentages:

Estimated Chance of Victory: Team Hyrule, 28 percent.

Estimated Chance of Victory: Generic, 72 percent.

…

Hebi Suterusu walked into the artificial kitchen that she had made done with over the last few weeks and hoped to find something to eat that hadn't already been ravaged through by the cyclone eating machines known as Kyou Gekido and to a lesser extent, Kage Ochitsuita.

She shivered in response to the low temperature and pulled her red and fuzzy white coat tighter around her slender body.

"Looking for somebody?"

She snapped around and saw Kage Ochitsuita leaning against the jagged wall, eyes closed and arms crossed.

"Kage?" she asked, wondering just what his intentions happened to be.

"Obviously you were looking for me, although I'm surprised that you can see anything without those glasses that make you look like a nerd," He said teasingly, dangling a pair of light blue tinted glasses over his right index finger.

What caught Hebi's eye, however, were his arrogant smirk, smug expression and the cocky gleam in his eyes.

Hebi felt herself smiling.

"And now that smile really makes you look like a dweeb. Why don't you show me some teeth with that, too?"

Hebi did as she was told and walked a little closer to him.

"That's a little better, but could you give me some more space?" he said, still cooler than ice, "you're doing exactly what all those other girls did before."

Hebi didn't know how to react. She knew that this was flirting, but he had been so cold and aloof before. He was teasing her, and she was unsure how he would react to what she did.

Letting her previous experiences tell her what to do, she backed away a little, looked up at him seductively and licked her lips.

Kage's smiled faded a little and he leaned in close to her face.

Hebi's heart fluttered.

Kage held up a stick of Chap Stick and smiled.

Heb giggled, turned away and went to get herself a glass of water.

"What, are you afraid of Chap Stick too?"

"Cute," she said as she poured crystal clear water into two glasses.

"I know," he said lightheartedly.

She walked towards him, handed him one of the glasses and took a long sip from her own. She pulled down at the collar of her shirt enough to show off her cleavage and winked at him.

He looked down, his smirk grew wider and he spoke, "What are you trying to show me? That you've got something in your eye, your collar is too wide, your neck is too thin or that you've never heard of a bra?"

She immediately pulled up her collar, turned away and blushed, "Anybody ever tell you that you're mean?"

"Always. Anybody ever tell you that **you're **obnoxious?"

"Anybody ever tell you that you're full of yourself?"

"Yep. Anybody ever tell you that **you** state the obvious?"

"Anybody ever tell you that you're exactly what they're looking for?"

Kage paused and smirked, "Always."

"That smirk of yours…" she lectured him, leaning over and waving her finger in his face, "is so NOT attractive."

He shrugged, "So?"

She crossed her arms and turned away, "You are so NOT attractive, you know that?"

He walked up to her, put his arm on her shoulder and said, "You know, you shouldn't lie, little girl."

He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "You suck at it."

That last statement acted like a trigger that cut the string supporting what remained of her self-control. She spun around, threw her arms around his chest and kissed him.

When she finally regained her senses, she pulled away and smiled.

"Whoa girl, chill. Not so fast. Not so smooth, either."

She merely pulled away, smiled and waved her fingers at him as she left.

Kage leaned against the wall and smirked, he still had it.

Or somebody did.

Kage fell to the ground and bit his lower lip to relieve the pain. It felt as if somebody had just smacked him across the face with a hammer.

_**Dude, that wasn't cool.**_

_Well, what did you expect? I can't have the rest of you running around like a bunch of schoolchildren all the time. What do I look like to you, a daycare center?_

_**Case and point.**_

_Oh, shut up._

Kage got up off the floor, wiped some blood from his mouth, shook his head and left the kitchen, the arrogant smirk gone from his face.

The mistletoe in the doorway shook as the wind blew through the area.

…

"What's this garbage? You've got someone controlling this whole thing, telling me what the chances of my success are?"

Kyou merely shrugged, "It's a program, something designed for a specific purpose, that logically assesses the situation and gives a logical result."

"And just what is it that makes this 'program' so bloody accurate?"

Kyou smiled, " I haven't heard anybody use that adjective in a long time."

Link cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

Kyou's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, "Simple, the program is designed to look at every aspect of the battle: the number of soldiers, the strength of each unit, the level of morale of both teams, the amount of confidence of the strategist, the formations, etc. It's even taking that bead of sweat from your forehead into account."

Link wiped off his forehead and muttered, "So, I can still change this around."

Kyou merely shrugged, "Tell you what, I'll finish this in two more turns to save you some embarrassment. Then you'll see just what you need to improve upon."

Link smirked, "You shouldn't assume, sir. It makes an ass out of you and me."

"Clever, cliché, irritating. Talk with your blade, not with your ego."

Link hopped from pedestal and withdrew his weapon, "Fine by me."

**"Strategist has engaged in the battle. Reciprocate must comply!" **boomed an invisible voice from overhead.

"Fine." Kyou stood up, withdrew his humongous axe and promptly chopped off his own unit's head. Mr. Kong fell to the ground and his dark red blood stained the waving grass.

Link's hand shook and he questioned, "What are you doing?"

Kyou simply smirked; the first time Link had ever seen him do so, "Just evening out the score."

Link's display showed him some newly changed statistics:

Team One: Team Hyrule  
Commander: Link  
Units:  
Kent: Male, Paladin: Lv. 30 **Condition Critical**  
Kurt: Male, Archer: Lv. 22 **Dead**  
Marcus: Male, Swordsman: Lv. 47  
Melissa: Female, Archer: Lv. 23  
Jennifer: Female, Thief: Lv. 17  
Alex: Male, Cavalry: Lv. 34  
Katherine: Female, Assassin: Lv. 45  
Zack: Male, Bard: Lv. 31  
Mina: Female, Knight: Lv. 29 **Condition Critical**  
Ashley: Female, Medic: Lv. 15 **Dead**  
Current Morale: 56 percent

Team Two: Generic  
Commander: Kyou Gekido  
Units:  
Officer Rendan: Male, Gunman: Lv. 20 **Dead**  
Seii Karei: Female, Ronin: Lv. 30  
Nick: Male, Teacher: Lv. 50  
Mario: Male, Plumber: Lv. 25  
Judge Cid: Male, Judge: Lv. 34  
Kuaru: Female, Ronin: Lv. 24  
Raspberry: Female, Thief: Lv. 18  
Mr. Kong: Male, Brute: Lv. 27 **Dead**  
Philip: Male, DJ: Lv. 20  
Experiment Cloud: Male, Soldier: Lv. 25  
Current Morale: 100 percent

Estimated Chance of Victory: Team Hyrule, 0 percent.

Estimated Chance of Victory: Generic, 100 percent.

* * *

It was a little shorter than what I'm used to, but it's all I have to say for now. I've still got some blasted work to do.

Bet you weren't expecting a strategy role playing game type scenario, were you? Good, that was my intent.

Look forward to the end of February, I have a surprise for you all.

But for now, I'm going to go watch The Simpsons. Merry Christmas again and all that jazz.


End file.
